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University  of  Illinois  Library  at  Urbana-Champaign 


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"  ^^^  aiat  writes  vout  ^^^^' 


M  E  M  0  I  U  S 

OF  THE 

GENERALS,  COMMODOHES, 

AND  OTHER  COMMANDERS, 


WHO  DISTINGUISHED  THE.MSELVES  IN  THE 


AMERICAN   ARMY   AND   NAVY 


DURING  THE 


WARS  OP  THE  REA^OLUTION  AND   1812, 


WHO  WERE  PRESENTED  WITH  MEDALS  BY  CONGRESS, 
FOR  THEIR  GALLANT  SERVICES. 


BY  THOMAS   WYATT,  A.  M 

AUTHOR    OF    THE    "  KINGS    OF    FRANCE,"    ETC.  ETC. 


n.LUSTE,ATED  BY  EIGHTY-TWO  ENC4RAVINGS  ON  STEEL 
FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  MEDALS. 


P  H  1  L  A  D  E  L  P  H I A : 
PUBLISHED  BY  CAREY  AND  HART 

MDCCCXLVIII. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1847,  by 

CAREY    AND    HART, 

In  the  office  of  tlie  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


T.  K.  &  P.  G.  COLLINS,  PRINTERS, 

No.  I,  Lodge  Alley. 


PliEFACE. 


Americans,  proud  of  the  achievements  of  their  country- 
men, who  in  the  field  of  honor  have  fought  with  superior 
valor  for  the  independence  or  glory  of  their  native  land,  will 
look  with  complacency  on  the  decisive  stamp  of  nationality 
which  a  work  of  this  kind  necessarily  possesses ;  while  it  is 
equally  true,  that  the  world  will  find,  in  the  circumstances  of 
the  age,  or  period  of  the  gallant  deeds  when  liberty  was  so 
nobly  asserted,  and  when  the  invincibility  of  the  proud  "  mis- 
tress of  the  seas"  was  so  successfully  contested,  a  bright  page 
of  history  on  which  our  national  pride  may  justly  dwell. 

Here,  as  in  "  Old  Rome,"  where  the  public  honors  are  open 
to  the  virtue  of  every  citizen,  the  lives  of  those  heroes  who 
have  been  distinguished  by  their  country's  highest  rewards, 
will  develop  virtuous  deeds,  heroic  exertions  and  patriotic 
efforts,  when  all  now  commemorated  shall  be  no  more.  Nor 
is  it  difficult  to  predict,  that  a  like  high  pre-eminence  of  vir- 
tue and  of  public  services  will  long  perpetuate  the  glorious 


4(ir>^>*^^ 


]V  PREFACE. 

annals  of  America.  It  has  appeared  to  us  that  there  has  been 
no  pubUcation  in  which  the  illustrious  commanders  of  our 
two  wars,  who  have  been  signalized  by  the  presentation  of 
gold  medals,  &c.,  have  been  singled  out,  and  their  lives  illus- 
trated in  connection  with  graphic  delineations  of  the  beauti- 
ful and  glorious  emblems  of  their  country's  gratitude.  This 
work  is  now  offered  to  the  public  as  a  text-book  of  men  who 
have  sealed  their  patriotic  devotion  with  wounds  and  scars, 
as  well  as  of  historical  incidents  sacred  to  patriotism.  Our  plan 
admits  of  none  of  the  embellishments  of  romance ;  on  the 
contrary  it  confines  itself  to  the  simple  facts  as  they  really 
were,  giving  to  each  commander  that  share  of  bravery  and 
virtue  which  his  country  has  thought  proper  to  signalize  by 
the  medals,  &c.,  awarded  him.  The  biographical  scope  we 
take  admits  only  of  the  relation  of  the  principal  events  of  their 
lives,  more  particularly  in  the  department  in  which  they  rose 
to  fame,  and  w^e  have  endeavored  to  do  our  part  with  all  the 
accuracy  that  conciseness  will  allow ;  leaving  to  others  to  give 
more  finished  and  full-sized  portraits,  which,  in  judicious 
hands,  may  be  the  more  entertaining  and  instructive,  as  they 
are  more  in  detail. 

We  trust,  however,  though  aware  it  may  not  be  possible  to 
avoid  some  error,  or  to  satisfy  every  expectation,  that  from  the 
efforts  we  have  made,  and  the  scrupulous  impartiality  we  have 
endeavored  to  observe,  as  well  as  on  account  of  the  authentic 
materials  which  have  been  kindly  furnished  us,  we  shall  be 
found  to  have  been  successful  in  our  attempt  to  aid  in  the 
perpetuation  of  the  fame  of  men  so  well  entitled  to  lasting 
celebrity,  and  to  the  gratitude  of  posterity. 


PREFACE.  V 

We  acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to  former  historians  and 
biographers ;  but,  in  a  greater  degree,  we  have  to  thank  those 
officers  now  Uving  who  have  so  kindly  supplied  us  with  facts 
drawn  from  their  own  private  papers,  &c.  We  have  also  to 
return  our  most  grateful  acknowledgments  to  the  representa- 
tives of  the  illustrious  dead  who  have  so  cheerfully  contributed 
to  our  materials. 

In  conclusion,  it  is  hoped  that  they,  and  the  public,  will 
dwell  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction  on  these  pages. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS 


GEN.  GEORGE  WASHINGTON, 
GEN.  ANTHONY  WAYNE, 
MAJ.  JOHN  STEWART, 
LIEUT.  COLONEL  DE  FLEURY, 
MAJ.  ANDRE,  CAPTURE  OF, 
GEN.  NATHANIEL  GREENE, 
GEN.  HORATIO  GATES, 
GEN.  DANIEL  MORGAN, 
COL.  EAGER  HOWARD, 
COL.  WILLIAM  A.  WASHINGTON, 
MAJ.  HENRY  LEE, 
GEN.  VVINFIELD  SCOTT, 
GEN.  EDMUND  P.  GAINES,       - 
GEN.  JAMES  MILLER,  - 
MAJ.-GENERAL  JACOB  BROWN, 
MAJ.-GENERAL  RIPLEY, 
GEN.  PETER  B.  PORTER, 
GEN.  ALEXANDER  MACOMB, 
GEN.  ANDREW  JACKSON, 
GEN.  ISAAC  SHELBY,    - 


FAG£ 

9 

17 

40 

42 

48 

52 

59 

63 

70 

79 

84 

89 

101 

113 

129 

135 

147 

151 

160 

1(34 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

GEN.  WM.  HENRY  HARRISON, 175 

LIEUT.-COLONEL  CROGHAN, 181 

PAUL  JONES, Igg 

CAPT.  THOMAS  TRUXTUN, 193 


COM.  EDWARD  PREBLE, 


202 


CAPT.  ISAAC  HULL, 206 

CAPT.  JACOB  JONES, 214 

CAPT.  STEPHEN  DECATUR, 222 

COM.  BAINBRIDGE,         .....  .  .  -  220 

OLIVER  HAZARD  PERRY, 236 

COM.  ELLIOTT, 241 

LIEUT.  WILLIAM  BURROWS, 249 

LIEUT.  EDWARD  R.  McCALL, 257 

CAPT.  JAMES  LAWRENCE, 261 

CAPT.  THOMAS  MACDONOUGH, 270 

CAPT.  ROBERT  HENLEY, 278 

CAPT.  STEPHEN  CASSIN, 281 

COM.  WARRINGTON, 285 

CAPT.  JOHNSTON  BLAKELEY, 289 

CAPT.  CHARLES  STEWART, -  297 

CAPT.  JAMES  BIDDLE,  ....  -  .  307 


GEN.   GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


A]\ioNG  those  patriots  who  have  a  claim  to  our  veneration, 
George  Washington  claims  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  first 
rank.  The  ancestors  of  this  extraordinary  man  were  among 
the  first  settlers  in  America;  they  had  emigrated  from  Eng- 
land, and  settled  in  Westmoreland  county,  Virginia.  George 
Washington,  the  subject  of  these  memoirs,  was  born  on  the 
22d  February,  1732. 

At  the  time  our  hero  was  born,  all  the  planters  throughout 
this  county  were  his  relations — hence  his  youthful  years 
glided  aw^ay  in  all  the  pleasing  gayety  of  social  friendship. 
In  the  tenth  year  of  his  age  he  lost  an  excellent  father,  who 
died  in  1742,  and  the  patrimonial  estate  devolved  to  an  elder 
brother.  This  young  gentleman  had  been  an  officer  in  the 
colonial  troops,  sent  in  the  expedition  against  Carthagena. 
On  his  return,  he  called  the  family  mansion  Mount  Vernon, 
in  honor  of  the  British  admiral  with  whom  he  sailed.  Georore 
Washington,  when  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  ardent  to  serve 
his  country,  then  at  war  with  France  and  Spain,  solicited  the 
post  of  midshipman  in  the  British  navy,  but  the  interference 
of  a  fond  mother  suspended,  and  for  ever  diverted  him  from 
2 


10  GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

the  navy!  His  devoted  parent  lived  to  see  him  acquire  higher 
honors  than  he  ever  could  have  obtained  as  a  naval  officer; 
but  elevated  to  the  first  offices,  both  civil  and  military,  in  the 
gift  of  his  country.  She,  from  long  established  habits,  would 
often  regret  the  side  her  son  had  taken  in  the  controversy 
between  her  king  and  her  country.  The  first  proof  that  he 
gave  of  his  propensity  to  arms,  was  in  the  year  1751,  when 
the  office  of  adjutant-general  of  the  Virginia  militia  became 
vacant  by  the  death  of  his  brother,  and  Mount  Vernon,  with 
other  estates,  came  into  his  possession.  Washington,  in  his 
twentieth  year,  was  made  major  of  one  of  the  militia  corps 
of  Virginia.  The  population  made  it  expedient  to  form  three 
divisions.  When  he  was  but  just  twenty-one,  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  government  of  his  native  colony,  in  an  enter- 
prise which  required  the  prudence  of  age  as  well  as  the  vigor 
of  youth.  In  the  year  1753,  the  encroachments  of  the  French 
upon  the  western  boundaries  of  the  British  colonies,  excited 
such  general  alarm  in  Virginia,  that  Governor  Dinwiddi  de- 
puted Washington  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  these  rumors ;  he 
also  was  empowered  to  enter  into  a  treaty  with  the  Indians, 
and  remonstrate  with  the  French  upon  their  proceedings. 

On  his  arrival  at  the  back  settlements,  he  found  the  colo- 
nists in  a  very  unhappy  situation,  from  the  depredations  of 
the  Indians,  who  were  incessantly  instigated  by  the  French 
to  the  commission  of  continual  aggressions.  He  found  that 
the  French  had  actually  established  posts  within  the  bounda- 
ries of  Virginia.  Washington  strongly  remonstrated  against 
such  acts  of  hostility,  and  in  the  name  of  his  executive,  warned 
the  French  to  desist  from  those  incursions.  On  his  return, 
his  report  to  the  governor  was  published,  and  evinced  that  he 
had  performed  this  honorable  mission  with  great  prudence. 

It  was  in  consequence  of  the  French  calling  themselves 
the  first  European  discoverers  of  the  river  Mississippi,  that 


GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON.  11 

made  them  claim  all  that  immense  region,  whose  waters  run 
into  that  river.  They  were  proceeding  to  erect  a  chain  of 
posts  from  Canada  to  the  Ohio  river,  thereby  connecting 
Canada  with' Louisiana,  and  limiting  the  English  colonies  to 
the  east  of  the  Alleghany  mountains.  The  French  were  too 
intent  on  their  favorite  project  of  extending  their  domain  in 
America,  to  be  diverted  from  it  by  the  remonstrances  of  a 
colonial  governor. 

This  induced  the  Assembly  of  Virginia  to  raise  a  regiment 
of  three  hundred  men  to  defend  their  frontiers  and  maintain 
the  right  claimed  by  their  king. 

Of  this  regiment,  Professor  Fry,  of  William  and  Mary 
College,  was  appointed  colonel,  and  George  Washington 
lieutenant-colonel.  Fry  died  soon  after  the  regiment  was 
embodied,  and  was  succeeded  by  our  hero,  who  paid  unremit- 
ting attention  to  the  discipline  of  his  new  corps.  The  latter 
advanced  with  his  reo^iment  as  far  as  Great  Meadows,  where 
he  received  intelligence,  by  the  return  of  his  scouts  whom  he 
had  sent  on  to  reconnoiter,  that  the  enemy  had  built  a  fort, 
and  stationed  a  large  garrison  at  Duquesne,  now  Pittsburgh. 
Having  now  arrived  within  fifty  miles  of  the  French  post, 
Washington  held  a  council  of  war  with  the  other  officers,  but 
while  they  were  deliberating,  a  detachment  of  the  French 
came  in  sio^ht  and  oblio^ed  them  to  retreat  to  a  savanna  called 
the  Green  Meadows.  On  an  eminence  in  the  savanna  they 
began  to  erect  a  small  fortification,  which  he  named  Fort 
Necessity. 

On  this  redoubt  they  raised  two  field-pieces.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  they  were  joined  by  Captain  McKay,  with  a 
company  of  regulars,  amounting  now  to  about  four  hundred 
men.  Scarcely  had  they  finished  their  entrenchments  when 
an  advanced  guard  of  the  French  appeared  in  sight,  at  which 
the  Americans  sallied  forth,  attacked  and  defeated  them ;  but 


12  GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

the  main  body  of  the  enemy,  amounting  to  fifteen  hundred 
men,  compelled  them  to  retire  to  their  fort. 

The  camp  was  now  closely  invested,  and  the  Americans 
suffered  severely  from  the  grape  shot  of  the  enemy,  and  the 
Indian  rifles.  Washington,  however,  defended  the  works 
with  such  skill  and  bravery,  that  the  besiegers  were  unable 
to  force  the  entrenchments.  After  a  conflict  of  ten  hours,  in 
which  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  Americans  were  killed 
and  wounded,  they  were  obliged  to  capitulate.  They  were 
permitted  to  march  out  with  the  honors  of  w^ar,  to  retain  their 
arms  and  baggage,  and  to  march  unmolested  into  the  inhabited 
parts  of  Virginia.  The  legislature  of  Virginia,  impressed 
with  a  high  sense  of  the  bravery  of  our  young  officer,  voted 
their  thanks  to  him  and  the  officers  under  his  command,  and 
three  hundred  pistoles  to  be  distributed  among  the  soldiers 
engrag-ed  in  this  action. 

Great  Britain  now  began  to  think  seriously  of  these  con- 
troversies, and  accordingly  dispatched  two  regiments  of 
A^eteran  soldiers  from  Ireland,  commanded  by  General  Brad- 
dock.  These  arrived  early  in  1755,  and  their  commander, 
being  informed  of  the  talents  and  bravery  of  George  Wash- 
ington, invited  him  to  serve  in  the  campaign  as  his  aid-de- 
camp. 

The  invitation  was  joyfully  accepted  by  Washington,  who 
joined  General  Braddock  near  Alexandria,  and  proceeded  to 
Fort  Cumberland ;  here  they  were  detained,  waiting  for  pro- 
visions, horses,  wagons,  &c.,  until  the  12th  of  June.  Wash- 
ington had  recommended  the  use  of  pack  horses,  instead  of 
wagons,  for  conveying  the  baggage  of  the  army.  Braddock 
soon  saw  the  propriety  of  it  and  adopted  it.  The  state  of  the 
country,  at  this  period,  often  obliged  them  to  halt  to  level  the 
road,  and  to  build  bridges  over  inconsiderable  brooks.  They 
consumed  four  days  in  traveling  over  the  first  nineteen  miles. 


GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON.  13 

On  the  9th  of  July  they  reached  the  Monongahela,  within  a 
few  miles  of  Fort  Duquesne,  and  pressing  forward,  without 
any  apprehension  of  danger,  a  dreadful  conflict  ensued ;  the 
army  was  suddenly  attacked  in  an  open  road,  thick  set  with 
grass. 

An  invisible  enemy,  consisting  of  French  and  Indians, 
commenced  a  heavy  and  well  directed  fire  on  the  uncovered 
troops.  The  van  fell  back  on  the  main  body,  and  the  whole 
was  thrown  into  disorder.  Marksmen  leveled  their  pieces 
particularly  at  the  officers  and  others  on  horseback. 

In  a  short  time,  Washington  was  the  only  aid-de-camp  left 
alive  and  not  wounded.  On  him,  therefore,  devolved  the 
whole  duty  of  carrying  the  general's  orders.  He  was,  of 
course,  obliged  to  be  constantly  in  motion,  traversing  the  field 
of  battle  on  horseback  in  all  directions.  He  had  two  horses 
shot  under  him,  and  four  bullets  passed  through  his  coat,  but 
he  escaped  unhurt,  though  every  other  officer  on  horseback 
was  either  killed  or  wounded.  The  battle  lasted  three  hours, 
in  the  course  of  which  General  Braddock  had  three  horses 
shot  under  him,  and  finally  received  a  wound,  of  which  he 
died  soon  after  the  action  was  over.  On  the  fall  of  Braddock, 
his  troops  gave  way  in  all  directions,  and  could  not  be  rallied 
till  they  had  crossed  the  Monongahela.  The  Indians,  allured 
by  plunder,  did  not  pursue.  The  vanquished  regulars  soon 
fell  back  to  Dunbar's  camp,  from  which,  after  destroying  such 
of  the  stores  as  they  could  spare,  retired  to  Philadelphia. 

Washington  had  cautioned  the  gallant  but  unfortunate 
general  in  vain ;  his  ardent  desire  of  conquest  made  him  deaf 
to  the  voice  of  prudence  ;  he  saw  his  error  when  too  late,  and 
bravely  perished  in  his  endeavors  to  save  the  division  from 
destruction.  Amid  the  carnage,  the  presence  of  mind  and 
abilities  of  Washington  were  conspicuous;  he  rallied  the 
troops,  and,  at  the  head  of  a  corps  of  grenadiers,  covered  the 


14  GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

rear  of  the  division,  and  secured  their  retreat  over  the  ford  of 
Monongahela. 

Kind  Providence  preserved  him  for  great  and  nobler  ser- 
vices. Soon  after  this  transaction,  the  regulation  of  rank, 
which  had  justly  been  considered  as  a  grievance  by  the  colo- 
nial officers,  was  changed  in  consequence  of  a  spirited  remon- 
strance of  Washington;  and  the  governor  of  Virginia  re- 
warded this  brave  young  officer  with  the  command  of  all  the 
troops  of  that  colony.  The  troops  under  his  command  were 
gradually  inured  in  that  most  difficult  kind  of  warfare  called 
bush-iighting,  while  the  activity  of  the  French  and  ferocity 
of  the  Indians  were  overcome  by  his  superior  valor. 

Washington  received  the  most  flattering  marks  of  public 
approbation ;  but  his  best  reward  was  the  consciousness  of  his 
own  integrity. 

In  the  course  of  this  decisive  campaign,  which  restored  the 
tranquillity  and  security  of  the  middle  colonies,  Washington 
had  suffered  many  hardships  which  impaired  his  health.  He 
was  afflicted  with  an  inveterate  pulmonary  complaint,  and 
extremely  debilitated,  insomuch  that,  in  the  year  1759,  he 
resigned  his  commission  and  retired  to  Mount  Vernon.  By 
a  due  attention  to  regimen,  in  the  quiet  bowers  of  Mount 
Vernon,  he  gradually  recovered  from  his  indisposition. 

During  the  tedious  period  of  his  convalescence,  the  British 
troops  had  been  victorious ;  his  country  had  no  more  occasion 
for  the  exertion  of  his  military  talents.  In  1761,  he  married 
the  young  widow  of  Colonel  Custis,  who  had  left  her  sole 
executrix  to  his  extensive  possessions,  and  guardian  to  his 
two  children.  The  union  of  Washington  with  this  accom- 
plished lady  was  productive  of  their  mutual  felicity ;  and  as 
he  incessantly  pursued  agricultural  improvements,  his  taste 
embellished  and  enriched  the  fertile  fields  around  Mount  Ver- 
non.    But  the  time  was  approaching  when  Washington  was 


GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON.  15 

to  relinquish  the  happiness  of  his  home  to  act  a  conspicuous 
part  on  the  great  theatre  of  the  world. 

For  more  than  ten  years  had  the  colonies  and  their  mother 
country  been  at  variance  from  causes  of  usurpation  and 
tyranny,  and  the  awful  moment  was  fast  approaching  when 
America  was  to  throw  off  her  fetters  and  proclaim  herself 
free.  In  1775,  Washington  was  elected  commander-in-chief 
of  the  whole  American  army.  The  American  army  were,  at 
the  time  of  this  appointment,  entrenched  on  Winter  Hill, 
Prospect  Hill  and  Roxbury,  Massachusetts,  communicating 
with  each  other  by  small  posts,  over  a  distance  of  ten  miles ; 
the  head-quarters  of  the  American  army  was  at  Cambridge, 
while  the  British  were  entrenched  on  Bunker's  Hill,  defended 
by  three  floating  batteries  on  Mystic  river  below. 

Washington  having  now  arrived  at  the  army,  which  con- 
sisted of  fourteen  thousand,  he  was  determined  to  bring  the 
enemy  to  an  alternative,  either  to  evacuate  Boston,  or  risk  an 
action.  General  Howe,  the  British  commander,  preferred  the 
latter,  and  ordered  three  thousand  men  to  fall  down  the  river 
to  the  castle,  to  prepare  for  the  attack,  but  during  their  pre- 
parations, they  were  dispersed  by  a  storm ;  which  so  disabled 
them  for  their  intended  attack,  that  they  at  last  resolved  to 
evacuate  the  town. 

Washington,  not  wishing  to  embarrass  the  British  troops  in 
their  proposed  evacuation,  detached  part  of  his  army  to  New 
York,  to  complete  the  fortifications  there ;  and  with  the  re- 
mainder, took  peaceable  possession  of  Boston,  amid  the  hearty 
congratulations  of  the  inhabitants,  who  hailed  him  as  their 
deliverer. 

When  the  Americans  took  possession  of  Boston,  they  found 
a  multitude  of  valuable  articles,  which  were  unavoidably  left 
by  the  British  army,  such  as  artillery,  ammunition,  many 


16  GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

woolens  and  linens,  of  which  the  American  army  stood  in 
the  most  pressing  need. 

Washington  now  directed  his  attention  to  the  fortifications 
of  Boston ;  and  every  effective  man  in  the  town  volunteered 
his  services  to  devote  two  days  in  every  week  till  it  was  com- 
pleted. By  a  resolve  of  Congress  of  March  25th,  1776,  a 
vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  General  Washington  and  the 
officers  and  soldiers  under  his  command,  for  their  wise  and 
spirited  conduct  in  the  siege  and  acquisition  of  Boston.  Also 
a  gold  medal  to  General  Washington,  of  wdiich  the  following 
is  a  description  : — 

Occasion. — Evacuation  of  Boston  by  the  British  troops. 

Device. — The  head  of  General  Washington,  in  profile. 

Legend. — Georgio  Washington,  supremo  duci  exercitum 
adsertori  libertatis  comitia  Americana. 

Reverse. — Troops  advancing  towards  a  town  which  is  seen 
at  a  distance.  Troops  marching  to  the  river.  Ships  in  view. 
General  Washington  in  front,  and  mounted,  with  his  staff, 
whose  attention  he  is  directing  to  the  embarking  enemy. 

Legend. — Hostibus  primo  Fugatis. 

Exergue. — Bostonium  recuperatum  17  Martii,  1776. 


GEN.    ANTHONY    WAYNE. 


Anthony  Wayne,  of  whose  military  career  America  has 
much  to  boast,  the  son  of  a  respectable  farmer  in  Chester 
county,  Pennsylvania,  was  born  on  the  1st  of  January,  1745. 
His  propensities  and  pursuits  being  repugnant  to  the  labors 
of  the  field,  his  father  resolved  to  give  him  an  opportunity  of 
pursuing  such  studies  as  his  acquirements  might  suggest,  and 
accordingly  placed  him  under  the  tuition  of  a  relative  of  eru- 
dition and  acquirements,  who  was  teacher  of  a  country  school. 
Our  young  hero  was  by  no  means  an  attentive  student ;  his 
mind  seemed,  like  the  young  Napoleon,  bent  on  a  military 
life,  for  instead  of  preparing  his  lessons  for  recitation  during 
his  leisure  hours,  he  employed  himself  in  ranging  his  play- 
mates into  regiments,  besieging  castles,  thromng  up  redoubts, 
&c.  &c. 

He  was  removed  from  the  county  school  into  an  academy 
of  repute  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  soon  became  an  expert 
mathematician,  sufficiently  so,  that  on  his  leaving  school  he 
became  a  land  surveyor,  with  a  very  respectable  and  lucrative 
business.  At  the  persuasion  of  Dr.  Franklin,  he  removed  to 
Nova  Scotia,  as  agent  for  a  company  of  settlers  about  to 
repair  to  that  province  on  a  scheme  of  emigration. 
3 


18  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

As  an  able  negotiator  he  acquitted  himself  honorably,  and 
returned  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  married  the  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Penrose,  an  eminent  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  and 
settled  once  more  on  a  farm  in  his  native  county.  The  aspect 
of  affairs  between  the  mother  country  and  the  provinces  at 
this  time  convinced  our  young  hero  that  desperate  means 
must  soon  be  resorted  to  to  prevent  invasion  from  abroad  and 
insurrection  at  home.  Satisfied  that  the  controversies  between 
the  two  countries  w^ould  only  be  adjusted  by  the  sword,  he 
determined  to  apply  himself  to  military  discipline  and  tactics, 
that  whenever  his  country  required  it,  he  might  devote  his 
energies  in  raising  and  preparing  for  the  field  a  regiment  of 
volunteers.  The  moment  arrived,  and  young  Wayne  was 
only  six  weeks  in  completing  a  regiment,  of  which  he  was 
unanimously  chosen  colonel.  At  the  sound  of  taxation  the 
undaunted  spirit  of  liberty  burst  forth,  and  thousands  of 
young  and  fearless  patriots  thronged  around  the  sacred  banner 
to  enrol  themselves  in  a  cause  which  must  eventually  end 
in  freedom.  News  of  the  opening  of  the  revolution  at  Bun- 
ker's Hill  and  Lexington  arrived,  and  Washington,  who  had 
accepted  the  command  of  the  army,  repaired  to  the  seat  of  war. 

Congress,  now  sitting  at  Philadelphia,  called  upon  the 
colonies  for  regiments  to  reinforce  the  northern  army,  and  the 
one  raised  by  the  exertions  of  Anthony  Wayne  w^as  the  first 
called  into  service,  and  upon  him  was  conferred  the  command. 
His  orders  to  join  General  Lee  at  New  York  were  quickly 
obeyed,  whence  he  proceeded  with  his  regiment  to  Canada,  to 
be  stationed  at  the  entrance  of  Sorel  river. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  there,  news  arrived  that  a  detach- 
ment of  six  hundred  British  light  infantry  were  advancing 
toward  a  post  called  Trois  Rivieres  (Three  Rivers).  Anxious 
to  check  their  advance,  or  strike  before  they  could  concentrate 


GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE.  10 

their  forces,  three  regiments,  commanded  by  Wayne,  St.  Clair 
and  Irvine,  commenced  their  march  for  that  purpose.  Un- 
fortunately, however,  untoward  circumstances  compelled  them 
to  retreat  with  considerable  loss  of  men,  and  Colonels  Wayne 
and  St.  Clair  severely  wounded.  The  movements  now  de- 
volved upon  Wayne,  who  collected  the  scattered  troops  and 
returned  to  his  former  post  at  Sorel  river,  where  he  remained 
but  a  short  period,  being  followed  by  a  heavy  British  column, 
giving  him  only  sufficient  time  to  leave  the  fort  before  the 
enemy  entered  it.  The  retreat  was  made  good  by  the  able 
conduct  of  Wayne,  who,  wdth  his  stores  and  baggage,  safely 
arrived  at  Ticonderoga. 

At  a  consultation  among  the  generals  it  was  determined 
that  at  this  post  they  should  take  their  stand.  After  recon- 
noitering  the  fortifications,  and  finding  them  so  well  prepared 
to  resist  an  attack,  the  British  general  re-embarked  his  forces 
and  retired  to  Canada. 

Immediately  on  the  withdrawal  of  the  British  troops, 
General  Gates  repaired  to  Washington's  army,  leaving  Colonel 
Wayne  in  entire  charge  of  Ticonderoga.  This  high  com- 
pliment paid  to  Colonel  Wayne,  agreeable  to  the  troops  and 
approved  of  by  Congress,  caused  the  gallant  soldier  to  be  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-general.  He  remained  at  this 
post  six  months,  when,  Washington  having  marched  his  main 
army  into  Jersey,  General  Wayne  solicited  permission  to  join 
him,  which  he  did  at  Bound  Brook,  a  few  miles  from  Bruns- 
wick, in  New  Jersey.  Soon  after  the  arrival  of  Wayne, 
General  How^e,  having  received  reinforcements  from  England, 
at  New  York,  took  up  his  line  of  march  across  Jersey,  in 
order  to  intercept  the  American  army  before  reaching  Phila- 
delphia. Washington  conceived  the  plan  of  General  Howe  to 
be  to  surprise  the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  disperse  the  con- 
gressional assembly,  who  were  then  sitting  there ;  he  accord- 


20  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

ino-ly  dispatched  Wayne  and  his  troops  to  meet  and  strike 
them,  in  order  to  resist  their  passage  at  Chad's  Ford.  This 
was  done,  and  a  sharp  conflict  ensued,  which  was  gallantly 
kept  up  until  late  in  the  evening,  when  it  was  thought  pru- 
dent to  retreat;  the  loss  sustained  by  the  Americans  was 
stated  to  be  three  hundred  killed  and  four  hundred  taken 
prisoners.  The  statement  given  by  the  British  general  him- 
self, was  one  hundred  killed  and  four  hundred  wounded,  but 
which  was  afterwards  ascertained  to  be  nearly  double  that 
number.  In  this  battle  the  young  patriot  Lafayette  first  drew 
his  sword  in  the  cause  of  America's  freedom,  and  although 
severely  wounded  in  his  leg  at  the  very  onset  of  the  battle, 
he  continued  to  cheer  and  encourage  his  soldiers,  (with  the 
blood  flowing  from  his  wound,  having  bound  his  sash  around 
it,)  till  the  end  of  the  conflict. 

The  British,  taking  a  circuitous  route,  now  marched  with 
all  haste  towards  Philadelphia,  and  Washington  wishing  to 
give  them  the  meeting  before  reaching  the  city,  retired  to 
Chester,  where  both  armies  met  at  some  distance  from  the 
Warren  tavern,  on  the  Lancaster  road.  General  Wayne 
commenced  the  action  with  great  spirit,  but  a  violent  storm 
came  on  which  rendered  it  impossible  for  the  battle  to  con- 
tinue, and  each  army  withdrew  from  the  field. 

Washington,  in  order  to  save  Philadelphia,  with  the  main 
army  fell  back  and  crossed  the  Schuylkill  at  Parker's  ferry, 
leaving  General  Wayne  with  about  fifteen  hundred  men  to 
watch  the  enemy,  who  had  retreated  back  about  three  miles. 
After  remaining  at  that  post  for  four  days,  he  was  apprised  of 
the  near  approach  of  the  British  army,  and  after  giving  three 
distinct  orders  to  one  of  his  colonels  to  lead  off"  by  another  road 
and  attack  the  enemy  in  the  rear,  which  order  was  not  under- 
stood, and  consequently  not  obeyed,  gave  the  British  time  to 
come  upon  them  before  they  could  make  good  their  retreat. 


GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE.  21 

The  enemy  fell  upon  them  with  the  cry  of  "  No  quarters," 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  his  brave  men  were  killed  and 
w^ounded  in  this  barbarous  massacre.  The  next  battle  at 
which  this  valiant  soldier  distinguished  himself,  was  at  Ger- 
mantown.  The  British  having  taken  a  position  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  that  village,  General  Wayne,  moving  with 
much  secrecy,  attacked  them  in  their  camp  at  the  dawn  of  day, 
but  after  many  hours  of  hard  fighting  and  a  succession  of  un- 
toward circumstances,  w^as  obliged  to  retreat.  The  loss  of  the 
Americans  in  this  action,  w^as  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  killed, 
five  hundred  and  twenty-one  wounded,  and  four  hundred 
taken  prisoners;  the  loss  of  the  British  was  eight  hundred 
killed  and  wounded. 

The  British  army  remained  in  nearly  the  same  position 
till  the  26th  of  October,  when  General  Howe,  with  a  detach- 
ment of  his  troops,  took  peaceable  possession  of  Philadelphia. 
Watson,  in  his  Annals  of  Philadelphia,  says,  —  "As  they 
entered  the  city.  Lord  Cornwallis  at  their  head  led  the  van. 
They  marched  down  Second  street  without  any  huzzaing  or 
insolence  whatever,  and  the  citizens  thronged  the  sidewalks 
with  serious  countenances,  looking  at  them.  The  artillery 
were  quartered  in  Chestnut  street,  between  Third  and  Sixth 
streets.  The  State  House  yard  was  made  use  of  as  a  parade 
ground." 

Congress  had  previously  been  removed  to  Lancaster,  in  the 
interior  of  the  state,  sixty  miles  from  Philadelphia.  Wash- 
ington and  his  army  were  posted  at  White  Marsh,  about  four- 
teen miles  from  Philadelphia,  and  in  order  to  draw  the  com- 
mander-in-chief from  his  strong  position,  the  British  general, 
Howe,  marched  his  soldiers  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Ame- 
rican lines,  and  after  many  demonstrations  of  attack,  finding 
that  Washington  was  not  disposed  to  bring  on  another  action, 
retreated  again  to  the  city.     This  gave  Washington  an  oppor- 


22  GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE. 

tunity  of  proceeding  to  Valley  Forge,  where,  in  the  month 
of  December,  with  his  almost  famished  and  naked  soldiers, 
they  cheerfully  commenced  building  huts  with  their  own  hands 
in  the  woods.  Early  in  January,  General  Wayne  repaired 
to  Lancaster,  where  the  government  was  then  located,  to  use 
his  exertions  in  raising  supplies,  both  of  provisions  and  cloth- 
ing, for  the  army. 

In  part  did  he  succeed,  but  the  scarcity  of  provisions  be- 
coming so  great,  that  Washington  was  at  length  compelled  to 
detach  a  body  of  troops,  under  General  Greene,  with  orders 
to  obtain  "  an  immediate  supply  of  provisions  by  any  means 
within  his  power."  This  was  done  by  seizing  every  animal 
fit  for  slaughter ;  and  by  this  means  the  immediate  wants  of 
the  starving  troops  were  supplied. 

In  order  to  prevent  a  similar  deplorable  state  of  want,  our 
gallant  hero,  who  knew  no  danger,  in  the  month  of  February, 
a  most  inclement  season,  left  the  army  with  a  body  of  troops 
on  an  expedition  to  New  Jersey,  to  secure  cattle  on  the  banks 
of  the  Delaware. 

This,  of  all  others,  was  a  dangerous  enterprise,  for  the  British 
were  wintering  in  detachments  in  many  places  near  the  Dela- 
ware. However,  in  our  hero  bravery  knew  no  fear,  and  for 
the  relief  of  his  suffering  soldiers  he  was  determined  to  attack 
and  wrest  from  the  British,  (whenever  he  came  in  contact,) 
provisions  for  his  men  and  sustenance  for  his  horses.  After 
several  skirmishes,  which  might  really  be  termed  battles,  he 
succeeded,  by  his  soldier-like  and  judicious  management,  in 
capturing  from  them  and  sending  to  the  American  camp  seve- 
ral hundred  fine  cattle,  some  excellent  horses,  and  a  large 
amount  of  forage.  About  the  middle  of  March  he  returned  to 
Valley  Forge,  to  receive  the  thanks  of  his  commander-in- 
chief  and  the  blessings  of  the  army.  The  British  remained 
in  quiet  possession  of  Philadelphia  till  the  18th  of  June  fol- 


GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE.  23 

lowing,  when  they  commenced  their  march  through  Jersey. 
On  the  same  day  Washington  left  Valley  Forge  in  order  to 
follow  them,  and  on  the  24th  encamped  about  five  miles  from 
Princeton,  w^hile  the  British  had  encamped  at  Allentown. 
During  the  winter  General  How^e  had  requested  to  be  recalled, 
and  the  command  now  devolved  upon  Sir  Henry  Clinton. 
Wayne,  with  four  thousand  men,  was  ordered,  accompanied 
by  Lafayette,  with  one  thousand  men,  to  take  a  position  near 
Monmouth  Court-house,  about  five  miles  in  the  rear  of  the 
British  camp,  in  order  to  prevent  their  reaching  the  High- 
lands of  New  York.  Washington,  who  had  determined  to 
attack  the  British  the  moment  they  moved  from  their  ground, 
received  intelligence  on  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  June  that 
they  were  on  their  way.  The  troops  were  immediately  under 
arms,  and  General  Lee  ordered  to  march  on  and  attack  the 
rear,  as  the  enemy  advanced  towards  the  troops  of  Wayne 
and  Lafayette.  This  was  done,  and  the  Americans,  though 
much  fatigued  by  their  previous  march,  fought  with  such 
determined  bravery  that  the  British  gave  way.  Taking 
advantage  of  the  night,  which  saved  them  from  a  total  rout, 
they  withdrew  to  the  heights  of  Middletown,  leaving  behind 
them  two  hundred  and  forty-five  killed  of  their  soldiers,  and 
many  of  their  officers ;  others  they  had  before  interred.  The 
following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  of  Wayne  to  a  friend  :- 

"  Faramus,  I2th  July,  1778. 

*'  We  have  been  in  perpetual  motion  ever  since  w^e  crossed 
the  Delaware  until  yesterday,  wdien  we  arrived  here,  where 
we  shall  be  stationary  for  a  few  days,  in  order  to  recruit  a 
little  after  the  fatigue  which  we  have  experienced  in  march- 
ing through  deserts,  burning  sands,  &c.  &c. 

"  The  enemy,  sore  from  the  action  of  the  28th  ult.,  seemed 


24  GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE. 

inclined  to  rest  also.  They  are  now  in  three  divisions ;  one 
on  Long  Island,  another  on  Staten  Island,  and  a  third  in  New 
York. 

"  The  victory  on  that  day  turns  out  to  be  much  more  con- 
siderable than  at  first  supposed.  An  officer  w^ho  remained  on 
the  ground  two  or  three  days  after  the  action,  says  that  nearly 
three  hundred  British  had  been  buried  by  us  on  the  field,  and 
numbers  discovered  in  the  woods,  exclusive  of  those  buried 
by  the  enemy,  not  much  short  of  one  hundred.  So  that  by 
the  most  moderate  calculation,  their  killed  and  wounded  must 
amount  to  eleven  hundred,  the  flower  of  their  army,  and 
many  of  them  of  the  richest  blood  of  England. 

'*  Tell  those  Philadelphia  ladies  who  attended  Howie's  assem- 
blies and  levees,  that  the  heavenly,  sweet  red-coats,  the  accom- 
plished gentlemen  of  the  guards  and  grenadiers,  have  been 
humbled  on  the  plains  of  Monmouth.  These  knights  have 
resigned  their  laurels  to  rebel  officers,  who  wdll  lay  them  at 
the  feet  of  those  virtuous  daughters  of  America,  who  cheer- 
fully gave  up  ease  and  affluence  in  a  city,  for  liberty  and 
peace  of  mind  in  a  cottage. 

"  Adieu,  and  believe  me 

"  Yours  most  sincerely,  * 

"Anthony  Wayne." 

The  British  commander,  having  in  the  night  escaped  from 
his  adversary,  took  a  strong  position  on  the  high  grounds 
about  Middletown,  where  remaining,  however,  but  a  few  days, 
he  proceeded  to  Sandy  Hook,  and  passed  over  to  New  York. 

Washington,  at  this  time,  proceeded  by  slow  and  easy 
marches  to  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson. 

It  was  his  intention  to  fortify  West  Point,  and  the  High- 
lands of  the  North  River;  accordingly  the  works  at  Stony 
and  Verplanck's  Points  were  commenced  for  that  purpose, 


GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE.  25 

pose,  yet  only  on  Verplanck's  a  small  but  strong  work  had 
been  completed  and  garrisoned  by  seventy  men,  under  Cap- 
tain Armstrong,  while  the  works  on  Stony  Point,  of  much 
greater  extent  and  of  incomparably  more  importance,  w-ere 
unfinished.  To  secure  these  valuable  positions  was  a  matter 
of  great  magnitude  both  to  the  British  as  w^ell  as  American 
commander-in-chief;  hence  was  the  determination  of  fortifying 
the  Highlands,  so  as  to  comprehend  within  it  these  important 
positions.  To  arrest  the  progress  of  these  fortifications,  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  sailed  with  a  fleet  up  the  Hudson,  and  landed 
his  troops  in  two  divisions ;  the  one  under  General  Vaughan, 
destined  against  the  works  at  Verplanck's  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river — the  other,  which  he  commanded  in  person,  against 
those  of  Stony  Point,  on  the  w^est  side.  The  fortifications 
on  Stony  Point  being  unfinished,  were  abandoned  without 
resistance,  on  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  who  instantly  com- 
menced dragging  some  heavy  cannon  and  mortars  to  the 
summit  of  the  hill,  and  on  the  next  morning  about  sunrise 
opened  a  battery  on  Fort  Fayette,  erected  on  Verplanck's,  the 
distance  across  being  about  one  thousand  yards. 

The  cannonade  during  the  day,  from  the  very  commanding 
position  of  Stony  Point,  as  also  from  vessels  and  gun-boats 
in  the  river,  occasioned  much  injury  to  the  fort ;  which,  being 
invested  both  by  w^ater  and  land,  and  no  means  of  saving  the 
garrison  now  remaining,  Captain  Armstrong,  (who  had  com- 
mand, )  after  a  gallant  resistance,  was  compelled  to  surrender 
himself  and  troops  prisoners  of  war.  Sir  Henry  proceeded 
immediately  to  place  both  forts  in  w^hat  he  supposed  a  perfect 
state  of  defence,  especially  that  of  Stony  Point,  which  he 
garrisoned  with  six  hundred  men,  under  the  command  of  an 
officer  distinguished  for  his  bravery  and  circumspection.  In 
consequence  of  Washington  being  now  at  West  Point,  Sir 
Henry  declined  a  further  movement  up  the  Hudson,  but  re- 
•  4 


26  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

mained  with  his  army  at  PhiUipsburg,  about  midway  between 
New  York  and  Stony  Point.  Immediately  on  the  arrival  of 
Wayne  at  head  quarters,  Washington  commenced  laying 
plans  for  the  recapture  of  Stony  Point,  and  in  a  conference 
between  the  commander-in-chief  and  Wayne,  the  latter,  em- 
phatically to  express  his  willingness  to  undertake  the  perilous 
enterprise,  is  said  to  have  remarked: — "General,  if  you  will 
only  plan  it,  I  will  storm  HellT 

As  no  industry  had  been  wanting  in  completing  or  repairing 
the  works  at  Stony  Point,  which  the  length  of  possession  by 
the  British  would  admit  of,  that  post  was  now  in  a  very  strong 
state  of  defence;  its  garrison  consisted  of  the  seventeenth 
regiment  of  foot,  the  grenadier  companies  of  the  seventy-first 
and  some  artillery ;  the  whole  under  the  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Johnson.  The  garrison  at  Verplanck's  was 
under  the  conduct  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Webster,  and  was 
at  least  equal  in  force  to  that  of  Stony  Point.  General 
Wayne  was  appointed  to  the  difficult  and  arduous  task  of 
surprising  and  storming  Stony  Point,  for  which  Washington 
provided  him  with  a  strong  detachment  of  the  most  active 
infantry  in  the  American  service.  These  troops  had  a  dis- 
tance of  about  fourteen  miles  to  travel  over  high  mountains, 
through  deep  morasses,  difficult  defiles  and  roads  exceedingly 
bad  and  narrow,  so  that  they  could  only  move  in  single  files 
during  the  greatest  part  of  their  journey.  About  eight'  o'clock 
in  the  evening  of  the  15th  of  July,  the  van  arrived  within  a 
mile  and  a  half  of  their  object,  where  they  halted,  and  the 
troops  were  formed  into  two  columns  as  fast  as  they  came  up. 
While  they  were  in  this  position,  Wayne,  with  most  of  his 
principal  officers,  went  to  reconnoitre  the  works,  and  to  observe 
the  situation  of  the  garrison.  It  was  near  midnight  before 
the  two  columns  approached  the  place;  that  on  the  right, 
consisting  of  Febiger  and  Meigs'  regiments,  was  led  by  Gene- 


GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE.  27 

ral  Wayne.  The  van,  consisting  of  one  linndred  and  fifty 
picked  men,  led  by  the  most  adventurous  officers,  and  com- 
manded by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Fleury,  advanced  to  the  attack, 
with  unloaded  muskets  and  fixed  bayonets.  They  were  pre- 
ceded by  an  avant-guard,  consisting  of  an  officer  of  the  most 
distinguished  courage,  accompanied  by  twenty  of  the  most 
desperate  private  men,  who,  with  other  officers,  were  in- 
tended to  remove  the  abatis,  and  whatever  obstructions  lay 
in  the  way  of  the  succeeding  troops.  The  column  on  the 
left,  was  led  by  a  similar  chosen  van,  with  unloaded  muskets 
and  fixed  bayonets,  under  the  command  of  Major  Stewart; 
and  that  was  also  preceded  by  a  similar  avant-guard.  The 
general  issued  the  most  positive  orders  to  both  columns,  (which 
they  strictly  adhered  to,)  not  to  fire  a  shot  on  any  account, 
but  to  place  their  whole  reliance  on  the  bayonet.  The  two 
attacks  seem  to  have  been  directed  to  opposite  points  of  the 
works;  whilst  a  detachment  under  Major  Murfree  engaged 
the  attention  of  the  garrison,  by  a  feint  in  their  front.  They 
found  the  approaches  more  difficult  than  even  their  know- 
ledge of  the  place  had  induced  them  to  expect ;  the  works 
being  covered  by  a  deep  morass,  which,  at  this  time,  hap- 
pened to  be  overflowed  by  the  tide. 

The  general,  in  his  official  papers,  says,  "  that  neither  the 
deep  morass,  the  formidable  and  double  rows  of  abatis,  or  the 
strong  works  in  front  and  flank  could  damp  the  ardor  of  his 
brave  troops ;  who,  in  the  face  of  a  most  incessant  and  tre- 
mendous fire  of  musketry,  and  of  cannon  loaded  with  grape- 
shot,  forced  their  way  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  through 
every  obstacle,  until  the  van  of  each  column  met  in  the  centre 
of  the  works,  where  they  arrived  at  nearly  the  same  time." 
General  Wayne  was  wounded  in  the  head  by  a  musket-ball, 
as  he  passed  the  last  abatis;  but  was  gallantly  supported  and 
assisted  through  the  works  by  his  two  brave  aids-de-camp, 


28  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

Fishbourn  and  Archer,  to  whom  he  acknowledges  the  utmost 
gratitude  in  his  pubhc  letter.  Colonel  Fleury,  a  French  offi- 
cer, had  the  honor  of  striking  the  British  standard  with  his 
own  hand,  and  placing  in  its  room  the  American  stars  and 
stripes.  Major  Stewart  and  several  other  officers  received 
great  praise ;  particularly  the  two  Lieutenants  Gibbons  and 
Knox,  one  of  whom  led  the  avant-guard  on  the  right,  and 
the  other  on  the  left.  Both,  however,  had  the  good  fortune 
to  escape  unhurt,  although  Lieutenant  Gibbons  lost  seventeen 
men  out  of  twenty  in  the  attack. 

There  is  nothin'g  in  the  annals  of  war  which  affi)rds  more 
room  for  surprise,  and  seems  less  to  be  accounted  for,  than 
the  prodigious  disparity  between  the  numbers  slain  in  those 
different  actions,  which  seem  otherwise  similar  or  greatly  to 
correspond  in  their  principal  circumstances,  nature  and  mag- 
nitude. Nothing  could  well  be  supposed,  from  its  nature  and 
circumstances,  more  bloody,  in  proportion  to  the  numbers 
engaged,  than  this  action ;  and  yet  the  loss  on  both  sides  was 
exceedingly  moderate. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  triumph  of  America  and  Ameri- 
cans generally,  upon  the  success  of  this  enterprize,  and  the 
vigor  and  spirit  with  which  it  was  conducted. 

It  must,  indeed,  be  acknowledged,  that  considered  in  all  its 
parts  and  difficulties,  it  would  have  done  honor  to  the  most 
veteran  soldiers.  General  Washington,  the  Congress,  the 
General  Assembly,  and  the  Supreme  Executive  Council  of 
Pennsylvania,  were  emulous  in  their  acknowledgments,  and 
in  the  praises  which  they  bestowed  upon  General  Wayne, 
his  officers  and  troops.  In  these  they  particularly  applaud 
the  humanity  and  clemency  shown  to  the  vanquished,  when, 
by  the  laws  of  war,  and  stimulated  by  resentment  from  the 
remembrance  of  former  cruelty  received  from  the  British, 


GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE.  29 

they  would  have  been  justified  in  putting  the  whole  garrison 
to  the  sword. 

As  soon  as  Stony  Point  was  taken,  the  artillery  was 
directly  turned  against  Verplanck's,  and  a  furious  cannonade 
ensued  which  necessarily  obliged  the  shipping  at  the  latter 
place  to  cut  their  cables  and  fall  down  the  river.  The  news 
of  this  disaster,  and  of  Webster's  situation,  who  also  expected 
an  immediate  attack  on  the  land  side,  no  sooner  reached  Sir 
Harry  Clinton,  than  he  took  the  most  speedy  measures 
for  the  relief  of  Verplanck's.  The  whole  British  land  and 
naval  force  was  in  motion.  But,  however  great  the  import- 
ance or  value  of  Stony  Point  and  Verplanck's,  Washington 
was  by  no  means  disposed  to  hazard  a  general  engagement  on 
their  account ;  more  especially  in  a  situation  where  the  com- 
mand of  the  river  would  afford  such  decisive  advantages  to 
his  enemy  in  the  disposition  and  sudden  movement  of  their 
troops,  whether  with  respect  to  the  immediate  point  of  action, 
or  to  the  seizing  of  the  passes,  and  cutting  off  the  retreat  of 
his  army,  as  might  probably  be  attended  with  the  most  fatal 
consequences. 

In  his  letter  to  Congress,  he  says,  that  it  had  been  pre- 
viously determined  in  council  not  to  attempt  keeping  that 
post,  and  that  nothing  more  was  originally  intended  than  the 
destruction  of  the  w*orks  and  seizing  the  artillery  and  stores. 
This  adventurous  and  daring  feat  kept  the  advanced  posts  of 
the  British  in  a  state  of  serious  alarm. 

By  the  journals  of  Congress  for  July  26,  1779,  it  appears 
that  the  attack  on  the  fort  at  Stony  Point  was  ordered  by 
General  Washington  on  the  10th  of  July.  General  Wayne 
issued  his  orders  on  the  1 5th,  on  the  night  of  which  day  the 
attack  was  made.  The  prisoners  taken  were  five  hundred  and 
forty-three ;  not  a  musket  was  fired  by  the  Americans ;  and 
although  the  laws  of  war  and  the  principle  of  retaliation  for 


30  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

past  cruelty,  would  have  justified  the  sacrifice  of  the  garrison, 
yet  not  a  man  was  killed  who  asked  for  quarters.  Soon  after 
this  gallant  action,  General  Wayne  repaired  to  his  family 
in  Chester  county,  and  thence  to  the  seat  of  Government, 
to  use  his  exertions  in  stimulating  the  councils  of  the  nation 
in  behalf  of  the  suffering  army,  one-half  of  which  w^as  at 
this  time  nearly  barefooted,  and  otherwise  destitute  of  com- 
forts. As  the  w^inter  was  now  approaching,  Washington  was 
preparing  to  take  up  his  quarters  at  Morristown,  New  Jersey, 
in  order  to  restrain  the  British,  who  were  then  stationed  at 
New  York,  from  incursions  into  the  adjacent  country. 

In  May,  1780,  Wayne  was  ordered  to  repair  to  the  camp  at 
Morristown,  and  resume  his  command  in  the  Pennsylvania 
line.  Little  more  than  useless  marches,  and  casual  skirmishes 
with  the  enemy  was  accomplished  during  this  year. 

In  November  of  the  same  year  Wayne  appears  before  his 
government  supplicating  supplies  for  his  soldiers.  This  he  ac- 
complished, and  returned  in  December  to  his  winter  quarters 
at  Morristown,  where  he  remained  till  the  end  of  February, 
1781.  Receiving  orders  to  join  the  southern  army  under 
General  Greene,  now  in  Virginia,  Wayne  accordingly  com- 
menced collecting  his  troops;  but,  from  so  many  and  un- 
accountable delays,  it  was  May  before  he  could  concentrate 
them  at  York,  Pennsylvania.  Early  in  June  the  Pennsyl- 
vania troops,  eleven  hundred  in  number,  formed  a  junction 
with  Lafayette,  whom  they  met  in  Virginia,  and  determined 
at  once  to  march  against  Cornwallis,  who  was  now  retreating. 
Lafayette  held  a  position  about  twenty  miles  in  the  rear  of 
the  British,  whilst  the  advanced  corps  of  Wayne  kept  within 
eight  or  nine  miles,  with  the  intention  of  commencing  an 
attack  on  the  rear  guard,  after  the  main  body  should  have 
passed  the  river.  Lafayette,  having  received  intelligence  that 
the  e'nemy  were  preparing  to  cross  the  James  river,  he  imme- 


GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE.  31 

diately  took  a  position  at  Chickahominy  church,  eight  miles 
above  Jamestown.  Early  the  following  morning,  Wayne 
believing  that  the  main  army  of  the  British  had  effected  its 
passage,  was  determined  to  march  forward  and  attack  the  rear 
guard ;  but  upon  arriving  wdthin  sight  he  found  he  w^as  mis- 
taken, and  that  he  had  now  to  confront  the  whole  British 
force  with  ordy  five  hundred  men ;  the  only  safe  mode  which 
he  could  now^  calculate  upon,  was  that  of  attacking  vigorously 
and  retreating  precipitately.  "  For,"  said  he,  "  moments  decide 
the  fate  of  battles,"  and  accordingly  the  firing  was  commenced 
with  great  firmness  at  three  o'clock,  and  continued  till  five  in 
the  afternoon. 

In  this  severe  but  orallant  action  one  hundred  and  eight  of 
the  Continental  troops  were  killed,  wounded  and  taken ;  most 
of  the  officers  were  severely  wounded,  and  many  of  the  field 
officers  had  their  horses  killed  under  them.  Lafayette,  in  his 
official  notice  of  this  action,  says — "  From  every  account  the 
enemy's  loss  has  been  very  great,  and  much  pains  taken  to 
conceal  it." 

In  a  letter  from  General  Washington  to  Wayne,  he  adds : — 
''The  Marquis  Lafayette  speaks  in  the  handsomest  manner 
of  your  own  behavior,  and  that  of  the  troops,  in  the  action 
at  Green  Spring.  I  think  the  account  which  Lord  Cornwallis 
will  be  obliged  to  render  of  the  state  of  southern  aff'airs,  will 
not  be  very  pleasing  to  ministerial  eyes  and  ears,  especially 
after  what  appears  to  have  been  their  expectations  by  their 
intercepted  letters  of  March  last.  I  am  in  hopes  that  Vir- 
ginia will  be  soon,  if  not  before  this  time,  so  far  relieved  as  to 
permit  you  to  march  to  the  succor  of  General  Greene,  who, 
with  a  handful  of  men,  has  done  more  than  could  possibly 
have  been  expected;  should  he  be  enabled  to  maintain  his 
advantage  in  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia,  it  cannot  fail  of 
having  the  most  important  political  consequences  in  Europe." 


32  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

The  movements  of  Cornwallis  indicated  a  permanent  post  at 
Yorktown,  a  short  distance  up  the  York  river,  where  he  had 
removed  the  principal  part  of  his  forces,  and  commenced  his 
fortifications.  Washington  hearing  of  this  movement,  com- 
manded Lafayette  to  take  early  measures  to  intercept  the 
retreat  of  Cornwallis,  should  he  discover  the  intended  blow, 
and  attempt  a  retreat  by  North  Carolina. 

At  the  interposition  of  the  Marquis  Lafayette  with  his 
government,  a  French  fleet,  consisting  of  three  thousand  troops, 
were  equipped  and  dispatched  to  the  assistance  of  struggling 
America;  and  on  the  2d  September  landed  atBurwell's  Ferry, 
near  this  place.  Lafayette,  who  was  encamped  about  ten  miles 
from  General  AVayne,  on  hearing  of  the  arrival  of  the  French 
fleet,  requested  an  interview  with  him.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend, 
Wayne  describes  an  accident  that  occurred  to  him  on  his 
way  thither  : — "  After  the  landing  of  the  French  fleet,  and 
pointing  out  to  them  the  most  proper  position  for  their  en- 
campment, I  received  an  express  from  the  Marquis  Lafayette, 
to  meet  him  on  business  of  importance  that  evening.  I  pro- 
ceeded accordingly,  attended  by  two  gentlemen  and  a  servant. 
When  we  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  camp,  about  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  we  were  challenged  by  a  sentry,  and  we 
made  the  usual  answer,  but  the  poor  fellow  being  panic-struck, 
mistook  us  for  the  enemy,  and  shot  me  in  the  centre  of  the 
left  thigh ;  then  fled  and  alarmed  the  camp.  Fortunately,  the 
ball  only  grazed  the  bone,  and  lodged  on  the  opposite  side  to 
which  it  entered."  The  main  works  of  Cornwallis  were  at 
his  strongly  fortified  garrison  at  Yorktown,  on  the  York  river. 
He  also  occupied  Gloucester,  on  the  opposite  side,  where  he 
erected  works  to  keep  up  the  communication  with  the  country. 
General  Washington  reached  the  neighborhood  of  this  inte- 
resting scene  of  operation  on  the  14th  of  September,  and  im- 
mediately proceeded  on  board  the  Ville  de  Paris,  (flag-ship  of 


GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE.  33 

the  French  admiral,)  where  the  plan  of  the  siege  was  con- 
certed . 

Subjoined  is  an  extract  of  General  Wayne's  diary  of  the 
siege  of  Yorktown  and  capture  of  Lord  Cornwallis : 

"  On  the  28th  of  September,  1781,  General  Washington 
put  the  combined  army  in  motion,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, in  two  columns,  (the  Americans  on  the  right  and  the 
French  on  the  left,)  and  arrived  in  view  of  the  enemy's  lines 
at  York  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

"  29th.  Completed  the  investiture.  The  enemy  abandoned 
their  advanced  chain  of  w^orks  this  evening,  leaving  two 
redoubts  perfect  within  cannon-shot  of  their  principal  fortifi- 
cations. 

"  30th.  The  allied  troops  took  possession  of  the  ground 
vacated  by  the  British,  and  added  new  works. 

"  1st  October.  The  enemy  discovering  our  works  com- 
menced a  cannonade,  continuing  through  the  day  and  night 
with  very  little  effect. 

"  2d.  Two  men  killed  by  the  enemy's  fire. 

"  3d.  A  drop-shot  from  the  British  killed  four  men  from 
the  covering  party. 

"  4th.  The  redoubts  w^ere  perfected  ;  the  enemy's  fire  lan- 
guid. 

"  5th.  Tw^o  men  killed  by  rocket-shot. 

*'6th.  Six  regiments,  viz.,  one  from  the  right  of  each 
brigade  marched  at  six  o'clock,  P.  M.,  under  the  command  of 
Major  General  Lincoln  and  Brigadier  Generals  Clinton  and 
Wayne,  and  opened  the  first  parallel  within  five  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  the  enemy's  works  and  their  extreme  left,  which 
w^as  continued  by  the  French  to  the  extreme  right. 

"  7th.    The  parallel  nearly  complete,  without  any  opposi- 
tion, except  a  little  scattered  fire  of  musketry,  and  a  feeble 
5 


34  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

fire  of  artillery,  by  which  a  few  of  the  French  troops  were 
wounded  and  one  officer  lost  his  leg. 

"  8th.  Completed  the  first  parallel ;  two  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vanians  were  killed  by  rocket-shot. 

"  9th.  At  three  o'clock  P.  M.,  the  French  opened  a  twelve 
gun  battery  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  enemy ;  and  at  five 
o'clock  the  same  day,  a  battery  of  ten  pieces  was  opened  on 
their  extreme  left,  by  the  Americans,  with  apparent  effect. 

"  10th.  At  daybreak  three  more  batteries  were  opened,  (one 
of  five  heavy  pieces  by  the  Americans,  and  two  containing 
twenty-two  by  the  French,)  opposite  the  centre  of  the  British 
works ;  at  five  P.M.,  another  American  battery  of  two  ten  inch 
howitzers  was  also  opened,  which  produced  so  severe  a  fire, 
that  it  in  a  great  degree  silenced  that  of  the  enemy ;  at  seven 
o'clock  P.  M.,  the  Caron,  of  forty-four  guns,  was  set  on  fire 
by  our  balls  and  totally  consumed. 

''  11th.  Second  parallel  opened  this  night  by  the  Pennsyl- 
vanians  and  Marylanders,  covered  by  two  battalions  under 
General  Wayne,  on  the  part  of  the  Americans. 

"  12th.  Nothing  material. 

"  13th.  That  part  of  the  second  parallel  which  was  opened, 
nearly  completed. 

"  14th.  A  little  after  dark,  two  detached  redoubts  belonging 
to  the  enemy  were  stormed  ;  that  on  the  extreme  left  by  the 
light  infantry,  under  the  Marquis  Lafayette,  in  which  were 
taken  a  major,  captain,  and  one  subaltern,  seventeen  privates, - 
and  eight  rank  and  file  killed. 

"  Our  army  lost,  in  killed  and  wounded,  forty-one.  The 
other  was  carried  by  the  French,  under  the  Baron  de  Viomi- 
nial,  who  lost,  in  killed  and  wounded,  about  one  hundred 
men.  Of  the  enemy  eighteen  were  killed,  and  three  officers 
and  thirty-nine  privates  were  made  prisoners.  The  above 
attacks  were   supported  by  two  battalions  of  the  Pennsyl- 


GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE.  35 

vanians,  under  General  Wayne;  whilst  the  second  parallel 
was  completed  by  the  Pennsyl vanians  and  Marylanders, 
under  Colonel  W.  Stewart. 

"  15th.  Two  small  batteries  were  opened  this  evening. 

"  16th.  The  enemy  made  a  sortie,  and  spiked  seven  pieces 
of  artillery,  but  were  immediately  repulsed,  the  spikes  drawn, 
and  the  batteries  again  opened. 

"  17th.  The  enemy  beat  the  chamade  at  ten  o'clock  A.  M., 
Cornwallis  now  sent  out  a  flag,  proposing  a  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities for  twenty-four  hours,  and  that  commissioners  might 
be  appointed  to  meet  to  settle  the  terms  upon  which  the  gar- 
risons of  York  and  Gloucester  should  surrender.  General 
Washington  would  only  grant  a  cessation  for  two  hours ;  pre- 
viously to  the  expiration  of  which,  his  lordship,  by  another 
flag,  sent  the  following  terms,  viz  : — The  troops  to  be  prison- 
ers of  war ;  the  British  to  be  sent  to  Great  Britain,  and  not 
to  act  against  America,  France,  or  her  allies,  until  exchanged ; 
the  Hessians  to  Germany,  on  the  same  conditions ;  and  that 
all  operations  cease  until  the  commissioners  should  determine 
the  details.  To  this  his  excellency  returned  for  answer : — 
That  hostilities  should  cease,  and  no  alterations  in  the  works, 
or  any  new  movement  of  the  troops,  take  place,  until  he  sent 
terms  in  writing ;  which  he  did  on  the  18th,  at  nine  o'clock, 
A.  M.,  allowing  the  enemy  two  hours  to  determine.  They 
again  requested  more  time ;  and  the  general  granted  them 
until  one  o'clock,  when  they  acceded  to  the  heads  of  the 
imposed  terms,  and  ni)minated  Colonel  Dundas  and  Major 
Ross,  on  their  part,  to  meet  with  Colonel  Laurens  and  Vis- 
count de  Noailles  on  ours,  to  reduce  them  to  form,  which  was 
completed  by  nine  o'clock  at  night ;  and  on  the  19th,  at  one 
o'clock  P.  M.,  the  capitulation  was  ratified  and  signed  by  the 
commander  of  each  army,  when  the  enemy  received  a  guard 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  troops  in  one  of  their  principal 


36  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

works,  and  one  of  the  French  troops  in  another.  At  four 
o'clock,  the  same  afternoon,  the  British  army  marched  out 
of  Yorktown  with  colors  cased,  between  the  American  and 
French  troops,  draw^n  up  for  the  purpose,  and  then  grounded 
their  arms  agreeably  to  capitulation." 

After  this  successful  struggle,  General  Wayne  was  com- 
manded to  repair  without  delay  to  the  aid  of  General  Greene, 
W'ho  was  encamped  near  Savannah,  Georgia,  in  w^hich  state 
the  enemy  had  been  long  rioting  without  the  fear  of  opposi- 
tion from  either  regulars  or  militia.  Not,  how^ever,  before  the 
19th  of  January,  1782,  did  he  reach  the  Savannah  river,  and 
having  crossed  it  w4th  a  detachment  of  the  first  and  fourth 
regiments  of  dragoons,  with  this  force,  aided  by  a  small  state 
corps  and  a  few  spirited  militia,  he  soon  routed  the  enemy 
from  some  of  their  strongest  posts.  Wayne  receiving  intelli- 
gence of  a  body  of  Creek  Indians  being  on  their  march  to 
Savannah,  detached  a  strong  party  of  horse  under  Colonel 
McCoy,  dressed  in  British  uniform,  in  order  to  deceive  and 
decoy  them.  This  deception  succeeded,  and  the  Indians  were 
all  surrounded  and  taken  without  the  least  resistance. 

General  Wayne,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  dated  the  24th  of 
February,  writes,  ''  It  is  now  upwards  of  five  weeks  since  we 
entered  this  state,  during  which  period  not  an  officer  or  soldier 
W'ith  me  has  once  undressed  for  the  purpose  of  changing  his 
linen ;  nor  do  the  enemy  lie  on  beds  of  down — they  have 
once  or  twice  attempted  to  strike  our  advance  parties.  The 
day  before  yesterday  they  made  a  forward  move  in  consider- 
able force,  which  induced  me  to  advance  to  meet  them  ;  but 
the  lads  declined  the  interview,  by  embarking  in  boats  and 
retreating  by  water  to  Savannah,  the  only  post  they  now  hold 
in  Georgia."  This  post  remained  in  possession  of  the  British 
till  the  month  of  May,  when  the  British  administration,  having 
resolved  upon  abandoning  all  offensive  operations  in  America, 


GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE.  37 

it  was  ordered  to  be  evacuated.  Accordingly,  on  the  11th  of 
July,  1782,  Savannah  was  delivered  into  the  possession  of 
General  Wayne,  whose  time  was  now  fully  occupied  in  reply- 
ing to  the  numerous  applications  of  the  merchants  and  citi- 
zens of  that  place.  About  the  end  of  November,  General 
Wayne,  with  the  light  infantry  of  the  army,  and  the  legionary 
corps,  reached  the  vicinity  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  where  Greene 
was  posted  near  the  Ashley  river,  a  convenient  position  to 
attack  the  rear  of  the  enemy  when  the  hour  of  evacuation 
should  arrive ;  but  a  proposition  from  the  British  General,  to 
be  permitted  to  embark  without  molestation  if  he  left  the 
town  untouched,  was  acceded  to,  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
14th  of  December,  General  Wayne  had  also  the  honor  and 
satisfaction  of  taking  peaceable  possession  of  Charleston,  thus 
closing  his  last  active  scene  in  the  war  of  the  American  revo- 
lution. 

General  Wayne  continued  busily  engaged  at  the  south  till 
the  following  July,  when  he  took  passage  for  Philadelphia 
in  very  delicate  health,  having  contracted  a  fever  while  in 
Georgia. 

In  1784,  Wayne  was  elected  by  his  native  county  to  the 
General  Assembly,  where  he  took  deep  interest  in  every  act 
which  agitated  the  Legislature.  His  family  estates,  which 
had  so  long  been  inoperative,  now  claimed  his  attention ; 
which,  for  the  space  of  two  years,  was  most  assiduously 
devoted  to  them.  President  Washington  nominated  Wayne 
to  the  Senate  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  United  States 
army — which  was  confirmed  and  accepted  the  13th  of  April, 
1792.  The  object  of  this  high  and  honorable  post  being 
bestowed  on  Wayne,  was  to  bring  to  a  close  the  war  with  the 
confederated  tribes  of  Indians,  which  was  raging  on  the 
northwestern  frontier.  During  the  four  years  of  Indian  war- 
fare,  General  Wayne   suffered   severely  from  his  previous 


38  GENERAL  ANTHONY  WAYNE. 

disease,  living,  however,  to  w^itness  the  termination  of  those 
troubles  which  had  so  long  existed,  but  not  to  share  in  the 
happy  results  which  his  bravery  and  exalted  wisdom  had 
consummated.  He  died  at  Presque  Isle,  on  the  15th  of 
December,  1796.  An  able  writer  thus  portrays  the  character 
of  this  exalted  man  : — 

"  The  patriotism,  spirit  and  military  character  of  General 
Anthony  Wayne  are  written  on  every  leaf  of  his  country's 
history,  from  the  dawn  of  the  revolution  to  the  close  of  his 
eventful  life.  If  you  ask  w^ho  obeyed  the  first  call  of  America 
for  freedom?  It  was  Wayne!  he  was  first  on  the  battle- 
ground and  last  to  retire.  If  you  ask  who  gallantly  led  his 
division  to  victory  on  the  right  wing  at  the  battle  of  German- 
towTL  ?  Who  bore  the  fiercest  charge  at  the  battle  of  Mon- 
mouth ?  Who,  in  the  hour  of  gloom,  roused  the  desponding 
spirits  of  the  army  and  nation  by  the  glorious  storming  and 
capturing  of  Stony  Point?  It  w^as  General  Anthony 
Wayne. 

"In  Congress,  July  26th,  1779,  it  was  resolved  unanimously, 
that  the  thanks  of  Congress  be  presented  to  Brigadier  General 
Anthony  Wayne,  for  his  brave,  prudent  and  soldierly  con- 
duct, in  the  spirited  and  w^ell-conducted  attack  of  Stony 
Point." 

A  gold  medal  was  voted  to  him  at  the  same  time,  of  which 
the  following  is  a  description  taken  from  the  original  in  the 
possession  of  his  family.     [See  Plate  II.) 

Occasion. — Taking  of  Stony  Point,  on  the  North  River, 
by  storm. 

Device. — An  Indian  Queen  crowned,  a  quiver  on  her  back, 
and  wearing  a  short  apron  of  feathers  :  a  mantle  hangs  from 
her  waist  behind  :  the  upper  end  of  the  mantle  appears  as  if 
passed  through  the  girdle  of  her  apron,  and  hangs  gracefully 
by  lier  left  side.     She  is  presenting,  with  her  right  hand,  a 


GENERAL    ANTHONY    WAYNE.  39 

wreath  to  General  Wayne,  who  receives  it.  In  her  left 
hand,  the  Queen  is  holding  up  a  mural  crown  towards  the 
General.  On  her  left  and  at  her  feet  an  alliorator  is  stretched 
out.  She  stands  on  a  bow :  a  shield,  with  the  American 
stripes,  rests  against  the  alligator. 

Legend. — Antonio  Wayne  Duci  Exercitas  comitia  Ameri- 
cana. 

Reverse. — A  fort,  with  two  turrets,  on  the  top  of  a  hill : 
the  British  flag  flying :  troops  in  single  or  Indian  file,  ad- 
vancing in  the  front  and  rear  up  the  hill :  numbers  lying  at 
the  bottom.  Troops  advancing  in  front,  at  a  distance,  on  the 
edge  of  the  river :  another  party  to  the  right  of  the  fort.  A 
piece  of  artillery  posted  on  the  plain,  so  as  to  bear  upon  the 
fort ;  ammunition  on  the  ground  :  six  vessels  in  the  river. 

Legend. — Stony  Point  expugnatum. 

Exergue. — 15th  July,  1779. 


MAJ.    JOHN    STEWART. 


It  is  a  singular  fact  that  no  biographical  memoir  can  be 
found  of  this  gallant  officer. 

By  the  journals  of  Congress  for  July  26,  1779,  we  find, 
that  that  body  passed  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  General 
Wayne,  and  the  officers  and  soldiers,  whose  bravery  was  so 
conspicuous  at  the  memorable  attack  on  Stony  Point;  par- 
ticularly mentioning  Colonel  De  Fleury  and  Major  Stewart, 
as  having  led  the  attacking  columns,  under  a  tremendous  fire. 
By  the  same  resolve  of  Congress,  we  find,  that  a  medal,  de- 
scriptive of  that  action,  was  ordered  to  be  struck  and  presented 
to  Major  Stewart.     {See  Plate  II.) 

In  a  communication  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  it  says, 
that  Major  Stewart  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  his  horse,  near 
Charleston,  South  Carolina.  Should  this  meet  the  eye  of 
any  of  the  representatives  of  the  late  Major  Stewart,  the  pub- 
lishers of  these  memoirs  would  feel  grateful  for  any  particu- 
lars respecting  that  distinguished  officer,  as  they  may  be  added 
in  another  edition. 


Plate  L' 


"  /-  ">;..,/,y     ,, 


IMAJOR    JOHN    STEWART.  41 


DESCRIPTION    or    THE    MEDAL. 


Occasion. — Taking  the  fort  of  Stony  Point. 

Device. — America,  personified  in  an  Indian  queen,  is  pre- 
senting a  palm  branch  to  Captain  Stewart :  a  quiver  hangs  at 
her  back  :  her  bow  and  an  alhofator  at  her  feet :  with  her  left 
hand  she  supports  a  shield  inscribed  wdth  the  American 
stripes,  and  resting  on  the  ground. 

Legend.  —  Johanni  Stew^art  cohortis  prefecto  comitia 
Americus. 

Reverse. — A  fortress  on  an  eminence  :  in  the  foreground, 
an  officer  cheering  his  men,  who  are  following  him  over  a 
battis  with  charged  bayonets  in  pursuit  of  a  flying  enemy ; 
troops  in  Indian  files  ascending  the  hill  to  the  storm,  front 
and  rear  :  troops  advancing  from  the  shore  :  ships  in  sight. 

Exergue. — Stony  Point  oppugnatum,  15th  July,  1779. 


LIEUT. -COL.    DE    FLEURY. 


Very  little  is  known  of  the  hero  of  the  following  memoir 
previous  to  his  leaving  his  native  country.  He  was  educated 
as  an  engineer,  and  brought  with  him  to  this  country  testi- 
monials of  the  highest  order.  His  family  were  of  the  French 
noblesse ;  his  ancestor,  Hercule  Andre  de  Fleury,  was  canon 
of  Montpelier,  and  appointed  by  Louis  XIV.  preceptor  to  his 
grandson.  At  the  age  of  seventy  years  he  was  made  cardinal 
and  prime  minister,  and  by  his  active  and  sagacious  measures 
the  kingdom  of  France  prospered  greatly  under  his  admin- 
istration. 

De  Fleury,  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  was  pursuing 
his  profession  when  the  news  of  the  American  revolution 
reached  the  shores  of  France.  Endowed  by  nature  with  a 
spirit  of  independence,  vigorous  intellect,  undaunted  courage, 
and  a  spirit  of  enterprise,  he  seemed  peculiarly  fitted  to  en- 
counter perils  and  hardships,  which  his  daring,  prompt  and 
skillful  maneuvers,  in  some  of  the  sharpest  battles  of  the 
revolution,  proved  most  true.  He  read  with  excited  anxiety, 
again  and  again,  of  the  oppression  and  tyranny  exercised  by 
the  mother  country  against  the  colonies. 

Next  came  the  news  that  at  once  decided  our  young  hero 


LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    DE    FLEURY.  43 

on  embarking  for  America;  the  colonies  had  actually  revolted, 
had  thrown  off  the  yoke  of  tyranny  and  usurpation,  declaring 
themselves  a  free  and  independent  people.  This  was  a  strug- 
gle, but  it  must  be  conquered.  De  Fleury  reached  the  shores 
of  America,  was  received  by  the  commander-in-chief,  received 
a  commission,  and  commenced  his  revolutionary  campaign,  to 
which  he  adhered  with  that  unflinching  constancy  which 
leaves  no  doubt  of  the  purity  and  disinterestedness  of  his 
motives.  Soon  after  the  battle  of  Brandywine  our  hero  was 
dispatched  to  Fort  Mifflin  in  the  capacity  of  engineer,  de- 
scribed in  the  followino^  letter  from  General  Washinofton  to 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Samuel  Smith,  in  which  he  says : — '*  En- 
closed is  a  letter  to  Major  Fleury,  whom  I  ordered  to  Fort 
Mifflin  to  serve  in  quality  of  engineer.  As  he  is  a  young 
man  of  talents,  and  has  made  this  branch  of  military  service 
his  particular  study,  I  place  confidence  in  him.  You  will, 
therefore,  make  the  best  arrangement  for  enabling  him  to 
carry  such  plans  into  execution  as  come  within  his  depart- 
ment. His  authority,  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  subordinate 
to  yours,  must  be  sufficient  for  putting  into  practice  what  his 
knowdedge  of  fortification  points  out  as  necessary  for  defend- 
ing the  post ;  and  his  department,  though  inferior,  being  of  a 
distinct  and  separate  nature,  requires  that  his  orders  should 
be  in  a  great  degree  discretionary,  and  that  he  should  be 
suffered  to  exercise  his  judgment.  Persuaded  that  you  will 
concur  with  him  in  every  measure,  which  the  good  of  the 
service  may  require,  I  remain,"  &c. 

For  six  days  previous  to  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Mifflin,  the 
fire  from  the  enemy's  batteries  and  shipping  had  been  inces- 
sant. Major  Fleury  kept  a  journal  of  events,  which  were 
daily  forwarded  to  General  Washington,  from  which  the  fol- 
lowinor  are  extracts. 

"  November  10th,  at  noon. — I  am  interrupted  by  the  bombs 


44  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    DE    FLEURY. 

and  balls,  which  fall  thickly.  The  firing  increases,  but  not 
the  effect;  our  barracks  alone  suffer.  Two  o' clock: — the  direc- 
tion of  the  fire  is  changed ;  our  palisades  suffer ;  a  dozen  of 
them  are  broken  down ;  one  of  our  cannon  is  damaged ;  I  am 
afraid  it  will  not  fire  straight.  Eleven  o'clock  at  night: — the 
enemy  keep  up  a  firing  every  half  hour.  Our  garrison 
diminishes ;  our  soldiers  are  overwhelmed  with  fatigue. 

"  1  ith.  The  enemy  keep  up  a  heavy  fire ;  they  have  changed 
the  direction  of  their  embrasures,  and  instead  of  battering 
our  palisades  in  front,  they  take  them  obliquely  and  do  great 
injury  to  our  north  side.  At  night : — the  enemy  fire  and  inter- 
rupt our  works.  Three  vessels  have  passed  up  between  us 
and  Province  Island,  without  any  molestation  from  the  gal- 
leys. Colonel  Smith,  Captain  George,  and  myself  wounded. 
These  two  gentlemen  passed  immediately  to  Red  Bank. 

"  12th.  Heavy  firing ;  our  two  eighteen  pounders  at  the 
northern  battery  dismounted.  At  night: — the  enemy  throw 
shells,  and  w^e  are  alarmed  by  thirty  boats. 

"  13th.  The  enemy  have  opened  a  battery  on  the  old  Ferry 
Wharf;  the  walk  of  our  rounds  is  destroyed,  the  block- 
houses ruined.  Our  garrison  is  exhausted  with  fatigue  and 
ill-health. 

"  14th.  The  enemy  have  kept  up  a  firing  upon  us  part  of  the 
night.  Day-light  discovers  to  us  a  floating  battery,  placed  a 
little  above  their  grand  battery  and  near  the  shore.  Seven 
o'' clock: — the  enemy  keep  up  a  great  fire  from  their  floating 
battery  and  the  shore ;  our  block-houses  are  in  a  pitiful  con- 
dition. At  noon : — we  have  silenced  the  floating  battery.  A 
boat,  which  this  day  deserted  from  the  fleet,  will  have  given 
the  enemy  sufficient  intimation  of  our  weakness ;  they  will 
probably  attempt  a  lodgment  on  the  Island,  which  we  cannot 
prevent  with  our  whole  strength. 

"  15th — at  six  in  the  afternoon. — The  fire  is  universal  from 


LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    DE    FLEURY.  45 

the  shipping  and  batteries.  We  have  lost  a  great  many  men 
to-day;  a  great  many  officers  are  killed  or  wounded.  My 
fine  company  of  artillery  is  almost  destroyed.  We  shall  be 
obliged  to  evacuate  Fort  Mifflin  this  night.  Major  Talbut  is 
badly  wounded. 

"  16th.  We  were  oblio^ed  to  evacuate  the  fort  last  evening-. 
Major  Thayer  returned  from  thence  a  little  after  two  this 
morning.  Everything  was  got  off  that  possibly  could  be. 
The  cannon  could  not  be  removed  without  making  too  great 
a  sacrifice  of  men,  as  the  Vigilant  lay  within  one  hundred 
yards  of  the  southern  part  of  the  works,  and  with  her  inces- 
sant fire,  hand  grenades  and  musketry,  from  the  round-top, 
killed  every  man  that  appeared  upon  the  platforms." 

After  this  devastating  conflict,  Fleury  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  army.  He  had  already 
received  from  Congress  the  gift  of  a  horse,  as  a  testimonial  of 
their  sense  of  his  merit  at  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  where  a 
horse  was  shot  under  him. 

"  To  the  President  of  Congress — 

"  Head  Quarters,  West  Point,  25th  July,  1779. 
"  Sir  : — Lieutenant-Colonel  Fleury  having  communicated 
to  me  his  intention  to  return  to  France  at  the  present  juncture, 
I  have  thought  proper  to  give  him  this  letter  to  testify  to  Con- 
gress the  favorable  opinion  I  entertain  of  his  conduct.  The 
marks  of  their  approbation,  which  he  received  on  a  former 
occasion,  have  been  amply  justified  by  all  his  subsequent 
behavior.  He  has  signalized  himself  in  more  than  one  in- 
stance since ;  and  in  the  late  assault  of  Stony  Point,  he  com- 
manded one  of  the  attacks,  was  the  first  that  entered  the 
enemy's  works,  and  struck  the  British  flag  with  his  own 
hands,  as  reported  by  General  Wayne.  Tt  is  but  justice  to 
him  to  declare,  that,  in  the  different  services  he  has   been 


46  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    DE    FLEURY. 

of  real  utility,  and  has  acquitted  himself  in  every  respect 
as  an  officer  of  distinguished  merit,  one  whose  talents,  zeal, 
activity,  and  bravery,  alike  entitle  him  to  particular  notice. 
I  doubt  not  Congress  will  be  disposed  to  grant  him  every 
indulgence.     I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c.  &c. 

G.  Washington. 


CERTIFICATE. 

West  Point,  281  h  July,  1779. 
I  certify  that  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fleury  has  served  in  the 
army  of  the  United  States  since  the  beginning  of  the  cam- 
paign in  1777,  to  the  present  period,  and  has  uniformly 
acquitted  himself  as  an  officer  of  distinguished  merit  for 
talents,  zeal,  activity,  prudence,  and  bravery;  that  he  first 
obtained  a  captain's  commission  from  Congress,  and  entered 
as  a  volunteer  in  a  corps  of  riflemen,  in  which,  by  his  activity 
and  bravery,  he  soon  recommended  himself  to  notice;  that 
he  next  served  as  brigade  major,  with  the  rank  of  major,  first 
in  the  infantry  and  afterwards  in  the  cavalry,  in  which  stations 
he  acquired  reputation  in  the  army,  and  the  approbation  of 
his  commanding  officers,  of  w^hich  he  has  the  most  ample 
testimonies ;  that  towards  the  conclusion  of  tiie  campaign  of 
1777,  he  was  sent  to  the  important  post  of  Fort  Mifflin,  in 
quality  of  engineer,  in  which  he  rendered  essential  services, 
and  equally  signalized  his  intelligence  and  his  valor.  That 
in  consequence  of  his  good  conduct  on  this  and  on  former 
occasions,  he  was  promoted  by  Congress  to  the  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel, and  has  been  since  employed  in  the  following 
stations,  namely,  as  a  sub-inspector,  as  second  in  command  in 
a  corps  of  light  infantry,  in  an  expedition  against  Rhode 
Island,  and  lastly  as  commandant  of  a  battalion  of  light 
infantry,  in  the  army  under  my  immediate  command ;  that  in 


LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    DE    FLEURY.  47 

each  of  these  capacities,  as  well  as  the  former,  he  has  justified 
the  confidence  reposed  in  him,  and  acquired  more  and  more 
the  character  of  a  judicious,  well-informed,  indefatigable  and 
brave  officer.  In  the  assault  of  Stony  Point,  a  strong,  fortified 
post  of  the  enemy  on  the  North  River,  he  commanded  one 
of  the  attacks,  was  the  first  that  entered  the  main  works,  and 
struck  the  British  flag  with  his  own  hands. 

G.  Washington. 

In  July,  1779,  Congress  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Colonel 
De  Fleury,  with  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate  II.)  for  his  bravery 
and  courage  at  Stony  Point.  During  the  two  years  De  Fleury 
was  attached  to  the  American  army,  he  took  a  conspicuous 
post  in  all  the  battles  fought  within  that  period ;  and  such  was 
his  bravery,  that  every  commander  under  whom  he  had  the 
honor  to  serve,  recommended  him  to  the  especial  notice  of 
Congress. 

MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Taking  the  fort  of  Stony  Point. 

Device. — A  soldier  helmeted  and  standing  against  the  ruins 
of  a  fort :  his  right  hand  extended,  holding  a  sword  upright : 
the  staff  of  a  stand  of  colors  reversed  in  his  left :  the  colors 
under  his  feet :  his  right  knee  drawn  up,  as  if  in  the  act  of 
stamping  on  them. 

Legend. — Virtutis  et  audicife  monum,  et  prsemium  D.  De 
Fleury  equiti  gallo  primo  muros  resp.     Americ.  d.  d. 

Reverse. — Two  water  batteries,  three  guns  each :  one 
battery  firing  at  a  vessel :  a  fort  on  a  hill :  flag  flying  :  river 
in  front :  six  vessels  before  the  fort. 

Legend. — Aggeres  paludes  hostes  victi. 

Exergue. — Stony  Pt.  expugn.  15th  July,  1779. 


CAPTURE   OF  MAJ.   ANDRE. 


John  Andre,  a  British  officer,  was  clerk  in  a  mercantile 
house  in  London ;  being  anxious  for  a  military  life,  he  obtained 
a  commission  as  ensign  in  the  regiment  commanded  by  Sir 
Henry  Clinton,  then  about  to  embark  for  America.  His 
energetic  and  enterprising  spirit  soon  raised  him  to  the  rank 
of  major  and  aid-de-camp  to  Sir  Henry.  Benedict  Arnold, 
the  American  traitor,  a  man  guilty  of  every  species  of  artifice 
and  deception,  smarting  under  the  inflictions  of  a  severe 
reprimand  from  his  superiors,  for  misconduct,  was  resolved  to 
be  revenged  by  the  sacrifice  of  his  country.  By  artifice  he 
obtained  command  of  the  important  post  of  West  Point.  He 
had  previously,  in  a  letter  to  the  British  commander,  signified 
his  change  of  principles,  and  his  wish  to  join  the  royal  army. 
A  correspondence  now  commenced  between  him  and  Sir 
Henry  Clinton,  the  object  of  which  was  to  concert  the  means 
of  putting  West  Point  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  The 
plot  was  well  laid,  correct  plans  of  the  fort  drawn,  and  as 
they  supposed,  the  execution  certain.  The  arrangement  was 
effected  .by  Major  John  Andre,  aid-de-camp  to  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  and  adjutant-general  of  the  British  army.  Andre, 
who  had  effected  all  the  arrangements  with  Arnold,  received 


CAPTURE    OF    MAJOR    ANDRE.  49 

from  him  a  pass,  authorizing  him,  under  the  feigned  name  of 
Anderson,  to  proceed  on  the  public  service  to  the  White 
Plains,  or  lower,  if  it  was  required. 

He  had  passed  all  the  guards  and  posts  on  the  road  without 
suspicion,  and  was  proceeding,  with  the  delicate  negotiation, 
to  Sir  Henry,  who  was  then  in  New  York. 

Having  arrived  within  a  few  miles  of  Tarrytown,  he  was 
accosted  by  three  individuals  who  appeared  loitering  on  the 
road.  One  of  them  seized  the  reins  of  his  bridle,  while  another 
in  silence  pointed  a  rifle  to  his  breast.  Andre  exclaimed, 
"  Gentlemen,  do  not  detain  me ;  I  am  a  British  officer  on  urgent 
business;  there  is  my  pass,"  at  the  same  time  drawing  from 
his  breast  a  paper,  which  he  handed  to  one  of  the  three,  while 
the  other  two,  looking  with  anxious  scrutiny  over  the  shoul- 
ders of  their  comrades,  read  as  follows : — 


Head  Quarters,  Robinsoii's  House,  Sept.  22(1,  1780. 

Permit  Mr.  John  Anderson  to  pass  the  guards  to  the  White 
Plains,  or  below,  if  he  chooses.  He  being  on  public  business 
by  my  direction. 

B.  Arnold,  M.  Gen  I. 

Andre  made  a  second  effort  to  be  dismissed ;  when  one  of 
the  men  requested  to  know,  how  a  British  officer  came  in 
possession  of  a  pass  from  an  American  general.  A  notice 
appeared  some  time  since,  purporting  to  be  from  a  person  who 
had  remembered  the  circumstance,  and  an  actual  acquaint- 
ance of  Paulding,  Van  Wart  and  Williams,  that  Paulding 
wore  a  British  uniform,  which  accounted  for  the  fatal  mistake 
made  by  Andre,  in  so  quickly  declaring  himself  to  be  a  British 
officer.  The  three  militia  men  insisted  upon  Andre's  dis- 
mounting, which  he  did.  They  then  led  him  to  the  side  of 
7 


50  CAPTURE    OF    MAJOR    ANDRE. 

the  road,  and  told  him  he  must  divest  himself  of  his  clothing, 
in  order  to  give  them  an  opportunity  to  search  him.  This 
was  done  with  reluctance,  after  offering  his  splendid  gold 
watch,  his  purse,  nay  thousands,  to  be  permitted  to  pass;  but 
no  bribe  could  tempt,  no  persuasion  could  allure ;  they  were 
Americans !  Paulding,  Van  Wart  and  Williams  had  felt 
the  hand  of  British  wrong ;  they  had  been  robbed,  ill-treated, 
and  trampled  on,  and  would  sooner  suffer  death  than  aid  the 
enemy  of  Washington. 

This,  then,  w^as  the  appalling  moment.  Andre  knew  that  all 
must  be  divulged.  He  had  but  one  hope,  that  their  ignorance 
might  prevent  their  being  able  to  read  the  papers  contained  in 
his  boot.  In  this  he  was  mistaken,  for  Paulding  first  seizing 
the  papers,  read  them  aloud  to  his  comrades  in  a  bold  voice. 
Nothing  can  picture  the  terrible  treachery,  which,  to  their 
uneducated  minds,  was  planned  in  these  papers. 

Andre  was  speechless,  and  as  pale  as  death.  His  fortitude 
seemed  to  forsake  him ;  and  laying  his  hands  on  Paulding's 
arms,  exclaimed,  in  tones  of  pity  not  to  be  described,  "  Take 
my  watch,  my  horse,  my  purse,  all !  all  I  have — only  let  me 
go  !"  But  no  !  the  stern  militia  men  could  not  be  coaxed  or 
bribed  from  their  duty  to  their  country.  By  a  court  martial 
ordered  by  General  Washington,  Andre  was  tried,  found  guilty, 
and  agreeably  to  the  law  of  nations,  sentenced  to  suffer  death. 

Though  he  requested  to  die  like  a  soldier,  the  ignominious 
sentence  of  being  hung  was  executed  upon  him  the  2d  of 
October,  1780,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-nine  years. 

Benedict  Arnold  effected  his  escape,  remained  in  the 
British  service  during  the  war,  then  returned  to  London, 
where  he  died  in  1801. 

"  By  a  vote  of  Congress,  3d  of  November,  1780,  a  silver 
medal  or  shield  [See  Plate  IV.)  was  ordered  to  be  struck  and 
presented  to  John  Paulding,  David  Williams,  and  Isaac  Van 


CAPTURE    OF    MAJOR    ANDRE.  51 

Wart,  who  intercepted  Major  John  Andre  in  the  character  of  a 
spy,  and  notwithstanding  the  large  bribes  ojffered  them  for  his 
release,  nobly  disdaining  to  sacrifice  their  country  for  the  sake 
of  gold,  secured  and  conveyed  him  to  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  district,  whereby  the  conspiracy  of  Benedict  Arnold  was 
brought  to  Ught,  the  insidious  designs  of  the  enemy  baffled, 
and  the  United  States  rescued  from  impending  danger." 

A  pension  of  two  hundred  dollars,  annually,  during  life, 
was  bestowed  on  each  of  them. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDALS. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  Major  Andre,  Adjutant-General  of 
the  British  army. 
Device. — A  shield. 
Legend. — Fidelity. 
Reverse. — A  wreath. 
Legend. — Vincit  amor  Patrice. 


GEN.    NATHANIEL    GREENE. 


Nathaniel  Greene,  the  son  of  a  preacher  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  was  born  on  the  27th  of  May,  1742,  in  Warwick, 
Rhode  Island. 

Nathaniel  received  the  first  rudiments  of  his  education 
among  that  peaceful  sect;  but  being  of  a  strong  and  robust 
form,  he  often  had  to  intersperse  his  hours  of  study  by  a 
relaxation  of  labor  in  the  field,  at  the  mill,  or  at  the  anvil. 
His  early  years  were  passed  at  the  home  of  his  parents,  and 
in  the  garb  of  a  strict  Quaker,  till  he  was  twenty  years  of 
age,  when  he  commenced  the  study  of  law. 

Not  long,  however,  did  he  continue  his  studies,  for  in  1773, 
when  the  states  began  to  organize  their  militia,  his  attention 
turned  to  the  subject,  and  he  became  a  member  of  the  "  Kent- 
ish Guards,"  a  military  company  composed  of  the  most 
respectable  young  men  in  his  county.  For  this  he  was  dis- 
missed from  the  Society  of  Friends;  yet  he  ever  after  re- 
garded the  sect  with  great  respect. 

Greene  remained  in  the  ranks  of  this  corps  till  after  the 
battle  of  Lexington;   when  Rhode  Island   embodied  three 


GENERAL  NATHANIEL  GREENE.  53 

regiments  of  militia,  and  placed  them  under  his  command 
with  a  commission  as  brigadier-general.  He  marched  his 
regiments  to  Cambridge,  where  he  met  the  commander-in- 
chief,  and  was  the  first  to  express  his  satisfaction  in  his  ap- 
pointment, which  was  met  by  the  confidence  and  friendship 
of  Washington,  which  he  retained  through  life.  He  was 
appointed  by  Congress  major-general  in  1776.  He  accom- 
panied the  army  to  New  York,  and  took  the  command  of  the 
troops  on  Long  Island.  His  absence,  caused  by  sickness,  from 
the  disastrous  battle  of  Flatbush,  was  severely  regretted ;  but 
when  the  commander-in-chief  found  it  necessary  to  retreat 
across  New  Jersey,  General  Greene  was  his  companion. 
Although  scarcely  able,  from  debility,  to  sit  on  his  horse,  his 
cheerfulness  and  confidence  never  forsook  him,  and  the  spirits 
of  the  troops  were  ever  cheered  by  his  example. 

On  the  night  of  the  25th  of  December,  1776,  General 
Greene  crossed  the  Delaware,  and  in  command  of  the  left 
wing  of  the  army,  surprised  the  enemy  at  Trenton,  seized 
their  artillery,  and  prevented  their  retreat  to  Princeton.  He 
never  left  the  army  during  the  following  winter,  but  bore  his 
share  in  its  hardships  and  glories.  He  commanded  the  left 
wing  of  the  American  army  at  the  battle  of  Germantown. 
"  Such  was  the  distressed  situation  of  the  American  army 
through  the  winter  of  that  year,  that  Washington  was  doubt- 
ful of  his  ability  to  take  the  field  the  ensuing  season.  Every 
exertion  was  made  to  put  the  army  in  a  condition  for  the 
campaign,  and  General  Greene  was  urged  to  accept  the  ap- 
pointment of  quarter-master  general.  The  office  was  accepted 
with  great  reluctance,  for  his  inclination  was  to  serve  in  the 
line ;  and  the  charge  and  disbursing  the  public  money  was  to 
him  of  all  things  unpleasant.  The  necessities  of  the  army, 
however,  and  the  strong  expression  of  Washington,  that 
'some  one  must  make  the  sacrifice,'  at  last  induced  him  to 


64  GENERAL  NATHANIEL  GREENE. 

consent;  but  not  until  the  condition  was  acceded,  that  he 
should  not  lose  his  right  to  command  in  action.  Of  this  he 
availed  himself  at  the  battles  of  Monmouth,  and  on  the  retreat 
from  Rhode  Island.  The  duties  of  his  new  station  were 
arduous  and  embarrassing,  but  were  rendered  more  so  by  the 
unhappy  factions  which  divided  the  councils  of  the  country. 
Notwithstanding  the  distress  and  poverty  which  threatened 
ruin  to  the  cause,  intrigue  and  slander  were  in  active  opera- 
tion, to  undermine  the  reputation  and  character  of  the  men 
who  were  devoting  themselves  to  accomplish  the  almost  hope- 
less work.  Washington  himself  was  assailed ;  and  Greene, 
who  was  supposed  to  have  been  his  favorite  officer  and  con- 
fidential adviser,  was  made  an  object  of  suspicion;  but  the 
purity  and  integrity  of  General  Greene's  character  bore  him 
above  the  storm. — Congress  did  him  justice,  and  his  personal 
friends  never  faltered  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty  towards 
him."  In  1780,  General  Greene  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  southern  department ;  on  his  arrival  at  Charlotte, 
he  found  the  southern  army  destitute  of  almost  everything : 
no  artillery,  baggage  or  stores.  In  a  letter  to  Lafayette,  he 
says  : — "  Were  you  to  arrive  now,  you  would  find  a  few  rag- 
ged, half-starved  troops  in  the  wilderness,  destitute  of  every- 
thing necessary  for  the  comfort  or  convenience  of  soldiers." 

He  had  arrived  in  an  exhausted  country,  the  inhabitants 
divided  into  hostile  parties,  and  an  enemy  before  him,  well 
provided,  and  flushed  with  the  prospect  of  victory. 

His  only  dependence  and  hope  of  success  were  in  a  number 
of  spirited  and  devoted  officers,  who  gathered  around  him, 
and  the  promise  of  reinforcements  from  the  states  he  had 
passed  through  during  his  route.  General  Greene  thought  it 
most  prudent  to  remove  to  a  place  where  subsistence  and  the 
means  of  transportation  could  be  obtained. 

He  accordingly  marched  to  the  Cheraw  hills,  on  the  Pee 


GENERAL  NATHANIEL  GREENE.  55 

Dee;  and  detached  General  Morgan  to  the  west  of  the 
Catawba,  to  cut  off  the  left  wing  of  Cornwallis'  army,  and 
otherwise  annoy  him  as  circumstances  might  permit.  This 
movement  of  General  Morgan  and  his  army  alarmed  the 
British  from  their  posts.  Colonel  Tarleton  was  dispatched 
with  a  force  to  cut  off  and  destroy  him ;  but  in  this  case  the 
victory  took  an  opposite  direction,  and  Colonel  Tarleton's 
troops  met  their  annihilation  at  the  Cowpens.  The  news  of 
this  victory  was  a  severe  blow  to  Cornwallis,  and  he  at  or^^e 
determined  to  cut  off  Morgan's  retreat  with  his  prisoners,  and 
prevent  his  joining  the  main  army.  But  in  this  he  was  foiled ; 
for,  mistaking  the  route  supposed  to  be  taken  by  his  enemy, 
Morgan  w^as  enabled  to  reach  Greene  in  safety.  Notwith- 
standing the  victory  at  the  Cowpens,  General  Greene  had 
to  encounter  a  number  of  successive  disasters.  He  was  de- 
feated at  Guildford,  and  again  at  Camden,  but  prevented  Lord 
Rawdon  from  improving  his  success,  and  obliged  him  to  retire 
beyond  the  Santee.  While  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Santee,  he 
was  under  the  painful  necessity  of  ordering  the  sentence  of 
the  law  to  be  put  in  force  on  some  of  his  men.  From  the  con- 
tinual desertions  taking  place,  he  found  it  necessary  to  hang 
eight  of  his  soldiers  in  one  day.  A  number  of  forts  and  gar- 
risons in  South  Carolina  now^  fell  into  his  hands,  but  the 
army,  at  the  approach  of  Lord  Rawdon,  was  under  the  neces- 
sity of  retreating  to  the  extremity  of  the  state.  Discouraging 
as  this  w^as,  the  firmness  and  decision  of  General  Greene  sus- 
tained him  through  every  trial.  Being  at  this  time  advised  to 
abandon  South  Carolina  and  retire  to  Virginia,  he  replied, 
"  I  will  recover  the  country  or  perish  in  the  attempt."  Lord 
Rawdon  soon  found  that  pursuit  was  hazardous,  and  retired  to 
Charleston.  General  Greene  retired  to  the  Santee  Hills,  to 
enjoy  the  breezes  durnig  the  debilitating  heat  of  the  summer 
months.     An  able  historian  gives  the  following  account  of  the 


56  GENERAL  NATHANIEL  GREENE. 

battle  at  Eutaw  Springs,  which  was  the  last  of  General 
Greene's  battles :  —  "  The  battle  at  the  Eutaw  Springs, 
on  the  8th  of  September,  was  described  by  the  American 
commander,  as  the  most  obstinate  and  bloody  he  had  ever 
seen.  The  militia,  with  a  firmness  '  which  would  have  graced 
the  veterans  of  the  great  King  of  Prussia,'  advanced  with 
shouts  into  the  hottest  of  the  enemy's  fire ;  but  one  part  of 
the  line  faltering  for  a  moment,  the  British,  elated  at  the  pros- 
pect, sprang  forward  to  improve  that  moment,  but  at  the  same 
time  deranged  their  own  line.  General  Greene,  who  was 
watching  for  such  an  incident,  '  ordered  the  second  line  to 
advance  and  sweep  the  field  with  the  bayonets !' 

''  The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  the  enemy  were 
driven  from  the  ground,  through  their  camp  in  the  rear.  But 
their  pursuers  were  diverted  by  the  spoils  of  their  tents,  and 
became  irretrievably  confused.  In  the  mean  time  the  enemy 
rallied,  and  under  cover  of  the  fire  from  a  large  party  who 
had  taken  possession  of  a  brick  house,  recovered  their  camp. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  temptation,  so  unexpectedly  thrown 
open,  the  British  forces  must  have  surrendered.  As  it  was, 
their  power  in  South  Carolina  was  prostrated,  for  in  this 
action  they  lost  upwards  of  one  thousand  men.  The  enemy 
abandoned  the  whole  of  South  Carolina,  except  Charleston, 
and  the  American  army  retired  to  their  former  encampment." 

Except  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  provisions,  the  enemy 
lay  inactive  in  Charleston,  for  with  all  their  sagacity  they 
had  not  been  able  to  retain  possession  of  the  country.  They 
therefore  prepared  to  evacuate  the  city,  having  agreed 
with  General  Greene  to  leave  it  uninjured,  and  without 
interruption  from  the  American  army.  On  the  14th  of  De- 
cember, 1782,  the  delighted  citizens  of  Charleston  beheld 
the  British  troops  march  out  of  their  city,  and  with  joyous 
congratulations  received  with  open  arms  the  liberators  of  their 


GENERAL  NATHANIEL  GREENE.  57 

country.  This,  indeed,  was  a  happy  day ;  many  and  sincere 
were  the  prayers  offered  to  the  Almighty  for  their  deliver- 
ance ;  the  whole  city  presented  a  scene  of  festivity. 

From  the  governor  to  the  lowly  citizen,  General  Greene  was 
regarded  as  the  object  of  every  eye,  the  praise  of  every  tongue. 
South  Carolina  conveyed  to  him  a  valuable  portion  of  land ; 
Georgia  presented  him  with  a  beautiful  and  highly  improved 
plantation  in  the  vicinity  of  Savannah. 

When  peace  was  restored.  General  Greene  returned  for  a 
time  to  his  native  state,  in  order  to  remove  his  family  to  his 
new  plantation  in  Georgia. 

On  his  arrival  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  where  Congress  was 
then  in  session,  that  body  unanimously  resolved  to  present  him 
with  two  pieces  of  ordnance,  taken  from  the  British  army, 
"  as  a  public  testimony  of  the  wisdom,  fortitude  and  military 
skill  which  distinguished  his  command  in  the  southern  cam- 
paign. They  had  previously  voted  him  a  British  standard 
and  a  gold  medal,  an  engraving  of  which  is  given  on  Plate 
III,  commemorative  of  the  battle  of  Eutaw. 

In  1785  General  Greene  removed,  with  his  family,  to  his 
new  residence  in  Georgia,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  in  the  education  of  his  children,  but  his  period 
of  domestic  repose  was  short;  scarcely  a  year  did  he  enjoy  the 
happiness  of  his  family,  for  on  the  19th  of  June,  1786,  he 
closed  a  life  of  deep,  pure,  devoted  patriotism  to  his  country, 
and  love  and  good -will  to  all  mankind. 

MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Gallant  conduct  at  Eutaw  Springs,  S.  C. 
Device. — Head  of  General  Greene,  profile. 

8 


68  GENERAL  NATHANIEL  GREENE. 

Legend. — Nathanieli  Greene  egregio  duci  comitia  Ameri- 
cana. 

Reverse. — Victory  lighting  on  the  earth,  stepping  on  a 
broken  shield ;  under  her  feet  broken  arms  ;  colors ;  a  shield. 

Legend.' — Salus  regionem  australium. 

Exergue. — Hostibus  ad  Eutaw  debellatis,  die  8th  Sept. 
1781. 


GEN.    HORATIO    GATES. 


Horatio  Gates  was  the  son  of  a  clergyman  at  Maiden, 
in  England,  and  was  born  in  the  year  1729.  Having  lost  his 
father  at  an  early  age,  he  was  left  pretty  much  to  the  dictates 
of  his  own  passion.  He  appears  to  have  determined  on  a 
mihtary  life  as  early  as  twelve  years  of  age,  when  the  fre- 
quent remonstrances  of  his  uncle  and  guardian  could  not 
prevail  on  him  to  relinquish  the  thoughts  of  a  profession  so 
much  against  the  wishes  of  his  family. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  was  appointed  to  an  ensigncy 
in  the  regiment  commanded  by  General  Monckton,  who  was 
a  personal  friend  of  the  father  of  Gates,  and  who  gave  him 
every  opportunity  of  improving  himself  Shortly  after  he 
was  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy,  and  was  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Monckton  at  the  capture  of  Martinico,  where  his 
bravery  and  soldier-like  conduct  won  for  him  the  rank  of 
major.  He  was  among  the  first  troops  who  landed  at  Halifax, 
in  Nova  Scotia,  under  General  Cornwallis,  and  was  stationed 
there  for  some  time.  He  was  only  in  his  twenty-sixth  year 
when  he  accompanied  the  unfortunate  Braddock  in  the  ex- 
pedition against  Fort  du  Quesne,  and  with  the  illustrious 


60  GENERAL  HORATIO  GATES. 

Washington,  was  among  the  few  officers,  who,  on  that  occa- 
sion, escaped  with  their  Uves.  Gates  did  not  escape,  how- 
ever, without  a  very  dangerous  wound ;  he  was  shot  through 
the  body,  which  for  a  time  shut  him  out  from  tlie  bloody  and 
perilous  scenes  which  attended  the  various  battles  of  the 
French  war.  Although  he  had  not  been  a  citizen  of  the  new 
world  but  a  few  years,  he  evinced  his  attachment  to  it  by 
purchasing  a  farm  in  Virginia,  where  he  retired  till  he  was 
perfectly  restored  to  health.  His  attachment  to  the  new 
country,  and  a  military  reputation  so  high.  Congress,  with- 
out any  hesitation,  appointed  him  adjutant-general,  with  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general  in  the  new  army  of  the  revolution 
of  1775.  General  Washington  was  well  acquainted  with  his 
merits  in  his  military  character,  and  warmly  recommended 
him  to  Congress  on  the  occasion ;  they  had  been  fellow-sol- 
diers and  sufferers  under  General  Braddock. 

From  this  period  he  took  an  active  part  in  most  of  the 
transactions  of  the  war,  and  his  bravery  and  good  fortune 
placed  him  in  a  rank  inferior  only  to  Washington.  In  July, 
1775,  he  accompanied  the  commander-in-chief  to  Cambridge, 
and  was  employed  for  some  time  in  a  subordinate  but  highly 
useful  capacity.  In  June,  1776,  the  government  evinced 
their  confidence  in  Gates,  by  conferring  on  him  the  chief 
command  of  the  forces  at  the  north,  and  the  new  general  was 
found  in  no  way  deficient  in  courage  and  vigilance,  so  neces- 
sary under  such  circumstances. 

The  Congress  had  turned  an  anxious  eye  towards  Canada 
at  the  opening  of  the  contest ;  being  fully  aware  of  the  dan- 
ger of  their  gaining  possession  of  our  harbors  and  lakes,  and 
the  great  difficulty  to  us,  to  obtain  possession  of  their  strong 
forts  on  their  settled  frontier.  The  British  commenced  the 
naval  preparations  on  their  side  with  great  alacrity  and  suc- 
cess. But  the  Americans  had  every  obstacle,  but  the  want 
of  zeal,   to   encounter   in  preparing   for  defence.      General 


GENERAL  HORATIO  GATES.  Gi 

Gates  was  directed  to  co-operate  with  General  Schuyler,  but 
there  was  a  miserable  and  irreparable  deficiency  in  cannon, 
in  the  materials  of  ship-building,  and  even  in  the  necessary 
workmen.  The  country  had  been  hitherto  a  desert.  Colo- 
nization, in  its  natural  progress,  had  not  approached  these 
solitary  shores.  Nothing  but  the  exigencies  of  the  former 
war  with  France  had  occasioned  this  region  to  be  traversed 
or  inhabited.  A  few  forts,  with  suitable  garrisons,  were  all 
that  could  be  found  in  it,  and  that  abundance  of  workmen, 
vessels  and  prepared  timber,  which  a  well-planted  country 
would  have  spontaneously  furnished,  was  unknown.  Schuyler, 
indeed,  was  not  destitute  of  a  naval  armament,  but  it  was 
insufficient  to  cope  with  the  greater  preparations  of  the  enemy. 
With  all  the  exertions  of  the  two  commanders,  they  were 
merely  able  to  equip  about  fifteen  vessels,  half  of  which  were 
little  better  than  boats,  and  the  largest  carried  only  twelve 
small  guns  very  ill  supplied  with  ammunition.  This  small 
armament,  at  the  recommendation  of  General  Gates,  was 
placed  under  the  command  of  the  intrepid,  and  then,  unsus- 
pected Arnold.  The  first  operations  of  the  campaign  con- 
sisted in  a  contest  between  these  vessels  under  Arnold,  and  a 
much  superior  force  under  General  Carleton,  in  which  the 
land  forces  had  no  concern.  The  British  army  under  Carle- 
ton  commenced  their  advance  to  Ticonderoga,  where  Gates 
and  Schuyler  were  already  stationed  with  eight  thousand  men, 
well  provisioned  and  determined  to  defend  it  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity ;  all  parties  expecting  to  witness  a  long,  obstinate, 
and,  perhaps,  a  bloody  siege. 

Some  causes,  however,  and  most  probably  the  lateness  of 
the  season,  induced  Carleton  to  disappoint  these  expectations, 
by  precipitately  retiring  to  Canada  in  search  of  winter  quar- 
ters. 

This  retreat  enabled  General  Gates  to  march  southward, 
with  a  considerable  detachment  of  his  army,  to  assist  General 


62  GENERAL  HORATIO  GATES. 

Washington  in  his  operations  in  the  middle  colonies.  The 
ensuing  year  was  passed  in  a  great  variety  of  movements  and 
skirmishes  in  the  lower  districts  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania 
and  Jersey,  between  detachments  of  each  army.  In  the  ordi- 
nary records  of  the  time,  we  meet  with  no  splendid  or  con- 
spicuous part  performed  by  the  subject  of  these  memoirs, 
though  there  is  sufficient  reason  to  believe  that  his  services 
in  that  motley  warfare  were  active,  strenuous  and  useful. 

News  having  reached  General  Gates  that  Burgoyne,  with 
part  of  his  army,  had  passed  the  Hudson  and  encamped  at 
Saratoga,  he,  with  numbers  already  equal,  and  continually 
augmenting,  advanced  quickly  towards  him,  with  a  resolution 
to  oppose  his  progress  at  the  risk  of  a  battle. 

On  the  17th  of  September  he  arrived  at  Stillwater,  where 
he  encamped,  being  then  within  four  miles  of  the  enemy. 
Two  days  after,  skirmishes  between  advanced  parties  termi- 
nated in  an  engagement  almost  general,  in  which  the  utmost 
efforts  of  the  British  merely  enabled  them  to  maintain  footing 
of  the  preceding  day  Burgoyne,  who  was  daily  expecting 
reinforcements  from  Clinton  at  New  York,  was  content  to 
remain  in  his  camp,  although  his  army  was  diminished  by 
the  desertion  of  the  Indians  and  the  Canadian  militia,  to  less 
than  one-half  of  its  original  number. 

Gates,  on  the  contrary,  finding  his  forces  largely  increasing, 
being  plentifully  supplied  with  provisions,  and  knowing  that 
Burgoyne  had  only  a  limited  store,  and  that  rapidly  lessening, 
and  could  not  be  recruited,  was  not  without  hopes  that  victory 
would  come,  in  time,  even  without  a  battle.  His  troops  were 
so  numerous,  and  his  fortified  position  so  strong,  that  he  weis 
able  to  take  measures  for  preventing  the  retreat  of  the  enemy, 
by  occupying  the  strong  posts  in  his  rear. 

Accordingly,  nineteen  days  passed  without  any  further 
operations,  a  delay  as  ruinous  to  one  party  as  it  was  advan- 
tageous to  the  other. 


GENERAL  HORATIO  GATES.  63 

At  the  end  of  this  period,  the  British  general  found  his 
prospects  of  assistance  as  remote  as  ever,  and  the  consump- 
tion of  his  stores  so  alarming,  that  retreat  or  victory  became 
unavoidable  alternatives.  On  the  eighth  of  October  a  warm 
action  ensued,  in  which  the  British  were  everywhere  repulsed, 
and  a  part  of  their  lines  occupied  by  their  enemies.  Bur- 
goyne's  loss  was  very  considerable  in  killed,  wounded  and 
prisoners,  while  the  favorable  situation  of  Gates'  army  made 
its  losses  in  the  battle  of  no  moment. 

Burgoyne  retired  in  the  night  to  a  stronger  camp,  but  the 
measures  immediately  taken,  by  Gates,  to  cut  off  his  retreat, 
compelled  him  without  delay  to  regain  his  former  camp  at 
Saratoga.  There  he  arrived  with  little  molestation  from  his 
adversary.  His  provisions  being  now  reduced  to  the  supply 
of  a  few  days,  the  transport  of  artillery  and  baggage  towards 
Canada  being  rendered  impracticable  by  the  judicious  mea- 
sures of  his  adversary,  the  British  general  resolved  upon  a 
rapid  retreat,  merely  with  what  the  soldiers  could  carry  on 
their  backs.  They  soon  found  they  were  deprived  even  of 
this  resource,  as  the  passes  through  which  their  route  lay 
were  so  strongly  guarded,  that  nothing  but  artillery  could 
clear  them.  In  this  desperate  situation  a  parley  took  place, 
and  on  the  sixteenth  of  October  the  whole  army  surrendered 
to  Gates.  The  prize  obtained  consisted  of  more  than  five 
thousand  prisoners,  some  fine  artillery,  seven  thousand  mus- 
kets, clothing  for  seven  thousand  men,  with  a  great  quantity 
of  tents,  and  other  military  stores.  All  the  frontier  fortresses 
were  immediately  abandoned  to  the  victors.  This  successful 
capture  filled  America  with  joy :  Congress  passed  a  vote  of 
thanks,  and  ordered  a  gold  medal  ( See  Plate  III )  to  be  presented 
to  him  by  the  President.  It  is  not  easy  to  overrate  the  im- 
portance of  this  success.  It  may  be  considered  as  deciding  the 
war  of  the  revolution,  as  from  that  period  the  British  cause 


64  GENERAL  HORATIO  GATES. 

began  rapidly  to  decline.  The  capture  of  Cornwallis  was  not 
considered  of  equal  importance  to  that  of  Burgoyne,  nor  an 
event  which  caused  more  exultation. 

The  conduct  of  General  Gates  towards  his  conquered 
enemy  was  marked  by  a  delicacy  which  did  him  the  highest 
honor  ;  he  did  not  permit  his  own  troops  to  witness  the  mor- 
tification of  the  British  in  depositing  their  arms.  The  system 
of  General  Gates  was  that  of  forbearance  and  lenity — of 
allowing  for  honest  intentions  and  difference  of  opinion.  The 
benignity  of  his  measures  were  seconded  by  the  urbanity  of 
his  personal  deportment — he  was  courteous  and  even  friendly 
to  the  proscribed,  and  this  event  entitled  him  to  a  high  rank 
among  the  deliverers  of  his  country.  Soon  after  General 
Gates  retired  to  his  estate  in  Virginia,  and  died  in  1806,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 


MEDAL. 

Occasion.  —  Surrender  of  Lieutenant-General  Burgoyne 
and  his  army  at  Saratoga,  New  York,  in  1777. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Gates. 

Legend. — Horatio  Gates  duci  strenno  comitia  Americana. 

Reverse. — Gates  and  Burgoyne  in  front  of  the  American 
and  British  troops.  Burgoyne  in  the  act  of  presenting  his 
sword  to  Gates.  The  Americans  on  the  right,  with  arms 
shouldered  and  colors  flying.  The  British  on  the  left,  in  the 
act  of  grounding  their  arms,  and  laying  down  their  colors. 
By  the  side  of  the  two  generals  are  a  drum  and  a  stand  of 
colors. 

Legend. — Salus  Regionum  Septentrional. 

Exergue. — Hoste  ad  Saratogam  in  dedition.  Accepto  die 
17th  October,  1777. 


GENERAL   DANIEL   MORGAN. 


The  father  of  Daniel  Morgan  was  a  Welshman,  who 
had  emigrated  from  Wales,  and  settled  in  the  state  of  New 
Jersey,  some  years  before  the  birth  of  his  son,  which 
took  place  in  the  year  1736.  His  father  was  poor,  conse- 
quently his  education  was  confined  to  the  ordinary  branches 
of  a  country  school.  At  an  early  age,  an  enterprising  cha- 
racter appeared  to  be  developing  itself,  and  our  hero,  at  the 
age  of  seventeen,  left  the  humble  roof  of  his  parents,  to  im- 
prove his  fortune  at  the  south.  Accordingly,  we  next  find 
him  as  wagoner  on  the  estate  of  a  wealthy  planter,  in  Fre- 
derick county,  Virginia.  In  the  situation  of  teamster,  he 
continued  until  after  the  unfortunate  expedition  of  Braddock ; 
during  the  whole  of  this  campaign  he  drove  his  own  team 
attached  to  the  army.  During  this  unfortunate  campaign 
he  was  charged  with  insolence  to  a  British  officer,  tried  and 
sentenced  to  receive  five  hundred  lashes,  which  he  submitted 
to  with  that  firm  indifference  which  was  peculiar  to  him 
through  the  remainder  of  his  life.  Lee,  in  his  memoirs  says, 
"  That  in  a  few  days  after  the  infliction  of  this  disgraceful 
punishment,  the  officer  became  convinced  of  the  injustice  of 
the  charge,  and  made  an  ample  atonement  to  young  Morgan 
9 


66  GENERAL  DANIEL  MORGAN. 

before  the  whole  regiment."  It  was  during  this  disastrous 
campaign,  that  the  mihtary  qualifications  of  Morgan  were 
first  noticed,  when  the  officers  recommended  him  to  the  colo- 
nial government  of  Virginia,  from  which  he  received  a  com- 
mission as  ensign  in  the  English  service.  It  was  in  this 
capacity  that  his  powers  of  mind  burst  forth,  in  those  quali- 
fications which  twenty  years  afterwards  distinguished  him  as 
one  of  the  prominent  heroes  of  the  glorious  revolution. 

Although  engaged  from  1775  to  1781,  in  which  he  saw 
more  actual  service  than  any  other  American  officer,  he  re- 
ceived but  one  dangerous  wound.  He  was  attacked  by  a 
party  of  Indians,  while  carrying  dispatches  to  a  frontier  post, 
accompanied  by  two  soldiers ;  he  received  a  ball,  which  enter- 
ing the  back  of  his  neck,  came  out  through  his  left  cheek, 
shattering  his  jaw  in  a  dangerous  manner.  He  was  mounted 
on  a  fleet  horse,  and  in  falling,  grasped  firmly  the  neck  of  the 
animal.  The  savages,  presuming  he  was  dead,  left  him  to 
scalp  the  two  that  had  fallen.  Morgan,  who  believed  that 
his  wounds  would  prove  fatal,  or  that  he  should  be  exhausted 
by  loss  of  blood,  urged  his  horse  to  full  speed,  and  the  noble 
animal  escaped  with  him  into  the  fort.  One  of  the  savages 
followed  him  for  some  distance,  as  fast  as  he  could  run,  with 
open  mouth  and  tomahawk  in  hand,  expecting  every  moment 
his  victim  would  fall.  When  the  disappointed  savage  found 
the  horse  was  fast  leaving  him  behind,  he  threw  his  tomahawk 
with  great  force,  but  without  effect,  and  abandoned  the  pur- 
suit with  a  most  hideous  yell. 

This  serious  wound  confined  Morgan  to  the  hospital  for 
six  months;  as  soon  as  convalescence  permitted,  he  returned 
to  his  native  state,  where  he  remained  till  he  was  quite  re- 
covered. In  1774,  we  find  him  possessor  of  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  the  county  of  Frederick.  During  this  year  he  took 
the  command  of  a  company  in  an  expedition  to  the  west, 


GENERAL  DANIEL  MORGAN.  67 

under  Lord  Dunmore,  against  the  Indians,  who  were  de- 
feated. On  his  return,  on  the  Ohio  river,  he  first  heard  of  the 
hostihties  between  the  Eno^Ksh  and  the  Bostonians.  On  their 
arrival  at  Winchester,  Virginia,  the  corps  was  disbanded,  and 
they  severally  pledged  themselves  to  each  other,  to  aid  their 
eastern  brethren  if  they  should  require  it.  Matters  now  be- 
coming serious,  he  applied  to  Congress  for  permission  to  raise 
a  company,  which  was  immediately  granted,  with  an  appoint- 
ment as  captain.  His  military  popularity  being  so  well 
known,  that  in  the  short  space  of  eight  days,  ninety-six  men 
had  enrolled  themselves  under  his  command,  which  formed 
the  nucleus  of  that  celebrated  rifle  company,  which  so  sig- 
nally distinguished  itself  in  so  many  battles.  His  corps  being 
complete  he  reached  Boston  in  fifteen  days,  and  remaining 
there  some  time  in  inactivity,  he  requested  to  be  detached  to 
Quebec.  This  was  done,  and  under  the  orders  of  General 
Arnold,  in  that  celebrated  march  through  the  woods,  he  led 
the  van.  Shortly  after  his  arrival,  General  Montgomery  also 
arrived,  when  the  attack  was  decided  upon.  Morgan  led 
the  van-guard,  under  the  order  of  General  Arnold,  who,  being 
badly  wounded  in  the  leg,  was  carried  from  the  field  at  the 
commencement  of  the  attack. 

At  this  time  there  were  three  field  officers  superior  in  com- 
mand to  Morgan,  but  each,  from  inexperience,  insisted  upon 
waiving  their  rank,  and  placed  Morgan  in  command.  His 
attack  was  upon  a  two  gun  battery,  supported  by  fifty  men. 
Having  twice  fired  and  missed,  he  ordered  the  ladders  to  be 
placed,  which  he  mounted,  and  leaped  into  the  town  amidst 
the  fifty  men  who,  after  a  faint  resistance,  fled ;  this  daring 
act  inspired  the  soldiers,  who  lost  no  time  in  following  their 
leader. 

The  English  soldiery  were  panic-struck,  the  battery  was 
carried  without  resistance,  the  barrier  left  open,  and  the  people 


68  GENERAL  DANIEL  MORGAN. 

gave  themselves  up,  asking-  for  protection.  Before  entering 
the  barrier  gate,  he  was  ordered  to  wait  for  General  Mont- 
gomery. In  this  he  very  reluctantly  acquiesced,  saying  at  the 
same  time  that  it  would  give  the  enemy  time  to  rally,  and 
recover  from  their  panic.  In  this  he  was  correct,  for  the  news 
of  the  death  of  the  brave  Montgomery  seemed  to  damp  the 
ardor  of  the  brave  soldiers ;  although  they  fought  to  despera- 
tion, they  were  overwhelmed  by  numbers  and  made  prisoners 
of  war.  Soon  after  the  exchange  of  Morgan,  he  received  the 
appointment  of  colonel  in  the  continental  army ;  and  marched 
at  the  head  of  the  partisan  rifle  corps  to  the  assistance  of 
General  Gates.  At  the  glorious  victory  of  Saratoga,  he  took 
a  most  conspicuous  part;  although  Gates  shamefully  omitted 
to  do  him  justice  at  the  time,  the  English  account  of  the 
battle  gave  the  principal  credit  of  the  victory  to  Morgan. 

A  reconciliation,  however,  soon  took  place  between  Morgan 
and  Gates ;  and  the  latter,  on  every  subsequent  occasion,  en- 
deavored to  make  amends  for  the  injustice.  The  legislature 
of  Virginia  presented  Morgan  with  a  horse,  pistols  and  a 
sword;  and  his  neighbors  named  his  plantation  "Saratoga," 
in  honor  of  his  late  victory.  His  next  act  of  bravery  and 
skill  was  displayed  in  the  defeat  of  General  Tarleton,  at  the 
battle  of  the  Cowpens,  on  the  17th  of  January,  1781,  where 
he  took  nearly  as  many  prisoners  as  he  had  men  of  his  own ; 
and  Congress  testified  the  high  sense  they  entertained  of  this 
brilliant  victory,  by  presenting  him  with  a  gold  medal,  (here- 
after described.)  At  the  end  of  the  war  General  Morgan 
retired  to  his  plantation  at  Saratoga,  and  devoted  himself 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  elected  to  Congress,  but 
after  serving  two  sessions,  his  debilitated  health  obliged  him 
to  retire  from  public  life. 

In  1800,  General  Morgan  removed  to  Winchester,  where 
he  was  confined  by  extreme  debility  for  nearly  two  years,  and 


GENERAL  DANIEL  MORGAN.  69 

expired  on  the  sixth  day  of  July,  1802.  General  Morgan 
had  two  daughters,  the  eldest  married  to  the  late  General 
Presly  Neville,  of  Pittsburgh,  and  the  youngest  to  Major 
Heard,  of  New  Jersey.  Of  this  gallant  soldier  it  may  truly 
be  said,  that  no  officer  rendered  more  efficient  aid  to  the  cause 
of  his  country,  and  that  he  well  merited  the  character  at  that 
time  given  him,  the  hero  of  the  three  greatest  victories, 
Quebec,  Saratoga,  and  the  Cowpens. 


DESCRIPTION    OF   THE    MEDAL. 

(^ee  Plate  III.) 

Occasion. — Victory  at  the  Cowpens,  North  Carolina. 

Device. — An  Indian  queen  with  a  quiver  on  her  back,  in 
the  act  of  crowning  an  officer  with  a  laurel  wreath ;  his  hand 
resting  on  his  sword  :  a  cannon  lying  on  the  ground  :  various 
military  weapons  and  implements  in  the  back-ground. 

Legend. — Danieli  Morgan,  duci  exercitus  comitia  Ameri- 
cana. 

Reverse. — An  officer  mounted,  at  the  head  of  his  troops, 
charging  a  flying  enemy.  A  battle  in  the  back-ground :  in 
front,  a  personal  combat  between  a  dragoon  unhorsed  and  a 
foot  soldier. 

Legend. — Victoria  libertatis  vindex. 

Exergue. — Fugatis,  captis  aut  csesis  ad  cowpens  hostibus, 
17th  January,  1781. 


JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD. 


John  Eager  Howard,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was 
born  on  the  4th  of  June,  1752,  in  Baltimore  county,  and  state 
of  Maryland.  He  was  the  grandson  of  Joshua  Howard,  who, 
when  young,  left  his  home,  in  the  vicinity  of  Manchester, 
England,  and  against  the  wishes  of  his  parents,  joined  the 
army  of  the  Duke  of  York,  afterwards  James  the  Second, 
during  Monmouth's  insurrection;  fearing  to  encounter  the 
displeasure  of  his  parents,  he  joined  a  band  of  adventurers, 
who  were  preparing  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  the  British 
colonies  in  North  America,  in  the  year  1685. 

He  soon  obtained  a  grant  of  land  in  Baltimore  county, 
(which  is  still  held  by  the  family,)  and  married  Miss  Joanna 
O' Carroll,  of  an  Irish  family,  but  recently  emigrated  from 
Ireland. 

Cornelius,  his  son,  and  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
married  a  Miss  Eager,  whose  estate  now  forms  part  of  the 
city  of  Baltimore.  During  the  interval  that  elapsed  between 
the  emigration  of  the  early  members  of  the  family  to  the 
revolution,  they  appear  to  have  been  quiet  cultivators  of  the 
soil,  taking  no  part  in  the  political  broils  that  were  frequently 
arising  in  the  colonies. 


%.- 


^v 


JOHN    EAGER   HOWARD.  71 

The  time  had  now  arrived,  when  every  true  son  of  America 
felt  bound  to  participate  in  the  approaching  struggle  for 
liberty  and  independence,  and  John  Eager  Howard  received 
a  commission  as  captain,  in  one  of  those  bodies  of  militia 
termed  flying  camps  in  the  regiment  commanded  by  Colonel 
Hall.  The  commission  depended  upon  his  raising  thirty  men 
in  a  given  time ;  but  such  was  the  esteem  in  which  our  hero 
was  held,  that  he  formed  his  company  required  in  two  days, 
and  marched  direct  to  the  army. 

In  the  following  year  he  was  promoted,  till  finally  he  suc- 
ceeded Lieutenant-Colonel  Ford  in  the  command  of  the  second 
Maryland  regiment.  He  was  present  at  the  battle  of  White 
Plains,  and  continued  to  serve  till  the  end  of  the  year  1776, 
when  his  corps  was  dismissed.  Congress  having  resolved  to 
raise  additional  regiments  to  serve  during  the  war,  with 
officers  commissioned  by  Congress,  Major  Howard  was  one  of 
the  number  allotted  to  Maryland,  and  in  April  1777,  we  find 
him  marching  with  his  regiment  to  join  the  army  at  Rocky 
Hill,  near  Princeton,  where  he  remained  till  the  latter  end  of 
June,  when  receiving  information  of  the  death  of  his  father, 
he  returned  home,  till  the  following  September,  when  he 
rejoined  the  army  a  few  days  after  the  Battle  at  Brandywine 
Springs,  but  in  time  to  give  proofs  of  his  bravery  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Germantown,  which  afterwards  so  greatly  distinguished 
him. 

Colonel  Hall  being  disabled  at  the  commencement  of  the 
battle  of  Germantown,  Major  Howard  assumed  the  command 
and  encountered  the  British  corps  of  light  infantry,  posted 
some  distance  from  the  main  body,  and  after  a  sharp  conflict, 
pursued  them  through  their  encampment,  Howard  passing 
with  his  regiment  amidst  the  standing  tents,  and  in  front  of 
Chew's  house,  without  any  serious  injury  from  the  fire  of  the 
British.     Having  passed  in  safety,  he  advanced  his  Maryland 


72  JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD. 

troops  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther  towards  the  main 
body  of  the  British  troops,  who  now  salHed  forth  from  their 
temporary  fortress,  and  attacked  the  Maryland  corps,  but  a 
return  fire  killed  the  officer  who  had  commanded  the  garrison, 
and  no  further  molestation  ensued. 

Major  Howard  still  remained  with  the  army,  and  was  present 
at  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  but  we  do  not  hear  of  any  par- 
ticular share  that  he  bore  in  that  contest.  In  June,  1779, 
Major  Howard  received  the  commission  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
of  the  fifth  Maryland  regiment  in  the  army  of  the  United 
States,  and  accordingly  prepared  for  a  southern  march,  to 
meet  General  Gates  and  his  army  at  the  camp  at  Deep  Run, 
North  Carolina. 

Having  reinforced,  they  made  night  marches,  in  order  to 
attack  the  British  army,  commanded  as  they  thought  by  Lord 
Rawdon,  but  Cornwallis,  who  had  lately  arrived  from  Charles- 
ton with  a  strong  reinforcement,  was  resolved  to  assault  Gates 
in  his  camp.  Gates,  who  had  left  his  camp,  and  was  pro- 
ceeding by  night  marches  to  meet  his  antagonist,  was  encoun- 
tered in  the  woods,  where,  to  his  great  astonishment  and 
dismay,  he  found  that  not  Lord  Raw^don,  but  Cornwallis,  was 
the  commander  of  the  British  troops,  and  that  the  enemy 
was  much  superior  in  force  to  the  American  troops.  A  retreat 
now  was  impossible,  and  the  only  alternative  offered,  was  to 
form  a  line  of  battle.  The  disheartening  intelligence,  that 
Cornw^allis  had  reinforced  the  British  army,  and  the  darkness 
of  night,  may,  in  some  measure,  account  for  the  conduct  of 
the  militia  in  the  battle  of  Camden,  for  they  gave  w^ay  early 
in  the  action,  thereby  throwing  the  whole  of  the  British  troops 
entirely  upon  the  two  Maryland  brigades,  who  maintained  the 
contest  obstinately  against  superior  numbers,  at  one  time 
making  a  partially  successful  attempt  to  use  the  bayonet. 
Colonel  Howard  drove  the  corps  in  front  of  him  out  of  line  ; 


JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD.  73 

and  if  the  left  wing  of  the  American  army  had  been  able  to 
occupy  the  attention  of  the  British  right,  the  day  would  have 
been  propitious ;  but  attacked  as  he  was  in  front  and  rear,  by 
horse  and  foot,  the  American  troops  were  overpowered  and 
driven  into  the  woods  and  swamps  in  all  directions.  Colonel 
Howard  succeeded  in  keeping  a  few  of  his  men  together,  and 
being  occasionally  joined  by  other  officers  and  men,  they 
reached  Charlotte,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles,  in  about  three 
days:  their  only  subsistence  during  that  time  was  a  few 
peaches.  From  this  time,  and  until  the  arrival  of  General 
Greene  in  December,  Colonel  Howard  was  employed  in 
equipping  and  forming  into  a  battalion,  four  companies  of 
light  infantry,  placed  under  his  command,  and  then  trans- 
ferred to  Greene.  The  next  conspicuous  act  of  our  hero 
was  at  the  celebrated  battle  of  the  Cowpens,  17th  of  January, 
1781.  We  find  from  manuscript  and  printed  documents  of 
Colonel  Howard  himself,  whose  scrupulous  accuracy  places 
his  authority  beyond  a  doubt,  that  it  was  Howard,  and  not 
Morgan,  who  gave  the  order  to  the  right  company  to  change 
its  front  and  protect  his  flank,  and  it  was  Howard  also,  who, 
on  his  own  responsibility,  ordered  the  charge  with  the  bayo- 
net We  give  his  own  language : — "  Seeing  my  right  flank 
was  exposed  to  the  enemy,  I  attempted  to  change  the  front  of 
Wallace's  company,  (Virginia  regulars;)  in  doing  it,  some 
confusion  ensued,  and  first  a  part,  and  then  the  whole  of  the 
company  commenced  a  retreat.  The  officers  along  the  line 
seeing  this,  and  supposing  that  orders  had  been  given  for  a 
retreat,  faced  their  men  about  and  moved  off.  Morgan,  who 
had  mostly  been  with  the  militia,  quickly  rode  up  to  me  and 
expressed  apprehensions  of  the  event;  but  I  soon  removed 
his  fears  by  pointing  to  the  line,  and  observing  that  men  were 
not  beaten  who  retreated  in  that  order.  He  then  ordered  me 
to  keep  with  the  men,  until  we  came  to  the  rising  ground 
10 


74  JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD. 

near  Washington's  horse ;  and  he  rode  forward  to  fix  on  the 
most  proper  place  for  ns  to  halt  and  face  about.  In  a  minute 
we  had  a  perfect  line.  The  enemy  w^ere  now  very  near  us. 
Our  men  commenced  a  very  destructive  fire;  which  they 
little  expected,  and  a  few  rounds  occasioned  great  disorder  in 
their  ranks.  While  in  this  confusion  I  ordered  a  charge  with 
the  bayonet,  which  order  was  obeyed  with  great  alacrity. 
As  the  line  advanced,  I  observed  their  artillery  a  short  dis- 
tance in  front,  and  called  to  Captain  Ewing,  who  was  near 
me,  to  take  it.  Captain  Anderson,  (now  General  Anderson, 
of  Montgomery  county,  Maryland,)  hearing  the  order,  also 
pushed  for  the  same  object ;  and  both  being  emulous  for  the 
prize,  kept  pace  until  near  the  first  piece,  when  Anderson,  by 
putting  the  end  of  his  spontoon  forward  into  the  ground, 
made  a  long  leap,  which  brought  him  upon  the  gun  and  gave 
him  the  honor  of  the  prize.  My  attention  was  now  drawn  to 
an  altercation  of  some  of  the  men  with  an  artillery  man,  w^ho 
appeared  to  make  it  a  point  of  honor  not  to  surrender  his 
match.  The  men,  provoked  by  his  obstinacy,  would  have 
bayoneted  him  on  the  spot,  had  I  not  interfered  and  desired 
them  to  spare  the  life  of  so  brave  a  man.  He  then  surren- 
dered his  match.  In  the  pursuit  I  was  led  to  the  right,  in 
among  the  seventy-first,  who  were  broken  into  squads ;  and 
as  I  called  to  them  to  surrender,  they  laid  down  their  arms, 
and  the  officers  delivered  up  their  swords.  Captain  Duncan- 
son,  of  the  seventy-first  grenadiers,  gave  me  his  sword  and 
stood  by  me.  Upon  getting  on  my  horse,  I  found  him  pull- 
ing at  my  saddle,  and  he  nearly  unhorsed  me.  I  expressed 
my  displeasure,  and  asked  what  he  w^as  about.  The  explana- 
tion was,  that  they  had  orders  to  give  no  quarter,  and  they 
did  not  expect  any ;  and  as  my  men  were  coming  up,  he  was 
afraid  they  would  use  him  ill.  I  admitted  his  excuse  and 
put  him  into  the  care  of  a  sergeant.     I  had  messages  from 


JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD.  75 

him  many  years  afterwards,  expressing  his  obhgation  for  my 
having  saved  iiis  Hfe."  At  the  time  Colonel  Howard  was 
"among  the  seventy -first,"  as  he  observes,  he  had  in  his 
hand  at  one  time,  seven  swords  of  officers  who  had  surren- 
dered to  him  personally. 

The  moral  effect  of  this  celebrated  battle  was  felt  through- 
out the  whole  country.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to 
Colonel  Howard,  {See  Plate  I,)  descriptive  of  his  gallant 
conduct  at  the  Cowpens,  which  is  described  at  the  end  of 
this  sketch. 

The  battle  of  the  Cowpens  is  the  only  one  on  record,  in 
which  the  American  troops  fairly  conquered  the  British  with 
the  bayonet  in  open  field. 

In  the  extreme  danger  incurred  by  the  rear  guard,  in  pro- 
tecting the  retreat  of  Greene,  Colonel  Howard  bore  his  full 
share ;  in  the  battle  of  Guildford,  which  soon  followed,  we 
find  his  skill  and  bravery  displayed  in  no  common  degree.  In 
his  own  manuscript,  he  observes  : — "  My  station  being  on  the 
left  of  the  first  regiment,  and  next  the  cleared  ground.  Cap- 
tain Gibson,  deputy  adjutant-general,  rode  up  to  me,  and 
informed  me  that  a  party  of  the  enemy  inferior  in  number  to 
us,  were  pushing  through  the  cleared  ground  and  into  our 
rear,  and  that  if  we  would  face  about  and  charge  them,  we 
might  take  them.  I  rode  to  Colonel  Gunby  and  gave  him 
the  information.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  order  the  reg-iment 
to  face  about,  and  we  were  immediately  engaged  with  the 
guards.  Our  men  gave  them  some  well  directed  fires,  and 
we  then  advanced  and  continued  firing.  At  this  time  Gun- 
by 's  horse  was  shot,  and  falling  upon  him,  injured  him,  but 
not  severely.  Major  Anderson  was  killed  about  this  time. 
As  we  advanced,  I  observed  Washington's  horse,  and  as  their 
movements  were  quicker  than  ours,  they  first  charged  and 
broke  the  enemy.     My  men  followed  very  quickly,  and  we 


76  JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD. 

pressed  through  the  guards,  many  of  whom  had  been  knocked 
down  by  the  horse  without  being  much  hurt.  We  took  some 
prisoners,  and  the  whole  were  in  our  power. 

"  After  passing  through  the  guards,  as  before  stated,  I  found 
myself  in  the  cleared  ground,  and  saw  the  seventy-first 
regiment  near  the  court-house,  and  other  columns  of  the 
enemy  appearing  in  different  directions. 

"  Washington's  horse  having  gone  off,  I  found  it  necessary 
to  retire,  which  I  did  leisurely  ;  but  many  of  the  guards  who 
were  lying  on  the  ground,  and  who  we  supposed  were  wounded, 
got  up  and  fired  at  us  as  we  retired." 

Such  is  the  unadorned  narrative  of  this  brave  and  gallant 
soldier.  At  the  battle  of  Hobkirk's  Hill,  he  also  ably  distin- 
guished himself.  At  Eutaw  he  had  the  command  of  the 
second  Maryland  regiment,  who  distinguished  themselves  at 
the  bayonet's  point,  and  (according  to  Lee)  in  encountering 
the  obstinate  resistance  of  the  Buffs,  many  of  the  Maryland- 
ers  and  of  the  Buffs  were  mutually  transfixed  with  each 
other's  bayonets.  Colonel  Howard,  in  a  letter,  says,  "  nearly 
one-half  of  my  men  were  killed  or  wounded,  and  I  had  seven 
officers  out  of  twelve  disabled ;  four  killed,  and  three  severely 
wounded."  Towards  the  end  of  the  battle,  Colonel  Howard 
received  a  ball  in  the  left  shoulder,  which,  passing  entirely 
through,  came  out  under  the  shoulder-blade,  and  disabled 
him.  In  a  letter  from  General  Greene  to  General  Small- 
wood,  written  a  few  days  after  the  battle,  he  says,  ''  nothing 
could  exceed  the  gallantry  of  the  Maryland  line,  the  uncom- 
mon bravery  of  Colonels  Howard,  Williams,  and  the  other 
officers,  and  the  free  use  of  the  bayonet,  by  this  and  some 
other  corps,  gave  us  the  victory." 

As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  be  removed,  Colonel  Howard  was 
taken  home,  followed  by  the  affectionate  commendations  of 
his  brother  officers.     General  Greene,  in  writing  to  a  friend, 


JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD.  77 

after  his  departure,  says,  ''  Colonel  Howard  is  as  good  an 
officer  as  the  world  afforded,  and  deserves  a  statue  of  gold, 
no  less  than  the  Roman  or  Grecian  heroes." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  Colonel  Howard  retired  to 
his  estates  in  Baltimore  county,  and  soon  after  married  Mar- 
garet, the  daughter  of  Benjamin  Chew,  of  Philadelphia.     He 
was  shortly  after  chosen  governor  of  Maryland,  which  office 
he   filled  for   three   years.     In    1795,   General  Washington 
invited  him  to  a  seat  in  his  cabinet,  but  this  was  declined. 
In  1796,  he  was  transferred  from  the  legislature  of  his  own 
state  to  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  where  he  remained 
seven  years ;  he  then  returned  again  to  his  agricultural  pur- 
suits, where  he  remained  till  the  trumpet  of  war  broke  in 
upon  his  retirement  in  1814.     The  capture  of  Washington 
by  the  enemy,  and  the  meditated  attack  upon  Baltimore,  de- 
manded a  preparation  for  resistance,  and  a  troop  of  aged  men 
was  organized  to  render  such  services  as  their  strength  would 
allow,  and  Colonel  Howard  was,  by  unanimous  consent,  placed 
at  its  head.     Colonel  Howard  now  began  to  feel  the  effects  of 
his  early  wound,  which  at  every  slight  exposure  brought  on 
severe  pain,  which  made  inroads  in  his  constitution  not  easily 
repaired.     In  1821  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  eldest 
daughter,  and  in  1822  his  eldest  son,  and  in  1824,  the  loss  of 
his  devoted  wife  gave  him  a  shock  from  which  he  never  re- 
covered ;  from  that  time  his  health  began  fast  to  decline,  and 
in  October,  1827,  he  resigned  his  life  with  characteristic  for- 
titude and  pious  resignation.     An  obituary  notice  written  by 
a   celebrated   dignitary  of  the  Catholic  church,  demands  a 
place  in  these  pages.     "  One  after  another,  the  stars  of  our 
revolutionary  firmament  are  sinking  below  the  horizon.    They 
rise  in  another  hemisphere,  as  they  set  to  us ;  and  the  youth 
of  other  times  will  gaze  upon  their  lustre,  as  he  learns  their 
names  and  marks  them  clustering  into  constellations,  which 


78  JOHN    EAGER    HOWARD. 

will  recall  to  his  mind  some  interesting  event  of  our  period  of 
struggle."  An  able  historiographer  thus  speaks  of  the  lament- 
ed Howard:  "In  private  life  he  was  distinguished  for  the 
amenity  of  his  manners,  his  hospitality,  and  his  extensive 
and  useful  knowledge.  He  possessed  a  memory  uncommonly 
minute,  and  a  love  of  information  that  never  sank  under  the 
labor  of  acquisition.  These  faculties  rendered  him,  perhaps, 
the  most  accurate  repository  of  the  history  of  his  own  time, 
in  this  or  any  other  country.  His  habits  of  life  were  con- 
templative, cautious,  scrupulously  just,  and  regulated  by  the 
strictest  method.  Few  men  have  enjoyed  a  more  enviable 
lot; — his  youth  distinguished  in  the  field,  his  age  in  the 
council,  and  every  period  solaced  by  the  attachment  of  friends. 
Affluent  in  fortune,  as  rich  in  public  regard,  and  blessed  in 
his  domestic  and  personal  associations,  he  has  glided  away 
from  the  small  band  of  his  compatriots,  as  full  of  honors  as  of 
years.  The  example  of  such  a  citizen  is  a  legacy  to  his 
country,  of  more  worth  than  the  precepts  of  an  age." 

MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Victory  at  the  Cowpens,  N.  Carolina. 

Device. — An  officer  mounted,  with  uplifted  sw^ord,  pursuing 
an  officer  on  foot,  bearing  a  stand  of  colors  :  Victory  descend- 
ing in  front  over  the  former,  holding  a  wreath  in  her  right 
hand  over  his  head :  a  palm-branch  in  her  left  hand. 

Legend. — John  Eager  Howard,  legionis  peditum  prsefecto 
comitia  Americana. 

Reverse  Inscription — {within  a  laurel  wreath.) — Quod  in 
nutantem  hostium  aciem  sabito  irruens,  prseclarum  bellicse 
virtutis  specimen  dedit  in  pugna,  ad  Cowpens,  17th  January, 
1781. 


COL.  WILLIAM   A.   WASHINGTON. 


William  Augustine  Washington  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Baiiy  Washington,  of  Staiford  county,  Virginia.  The  sub- 
ject of  these  memoirs  had  commenced  his  studies  for  the 
church,  when  the  war  sound  of  the  revolution  rung  in  his 
ears ;  he  was  one  of  those  who  exerted  such  an  exalted  influ- 
ence throughout  the  whole  campaign,  that  his  biographers 
distinguish  him  as  the  '*  modern  Marcellus." 

Colonel  Washinorton  was  a  scholar  of  rare  attainments, 
especially  in  the  Greek  language,  in  which,  in  his  day,  he 
w^as  unequalled.  At  the  request  of  his  relative,  General 
George  Washington,  he  w*as  appointed  to  the  command  of  a 
company  of  infantry,  in  the  third  regiment  of  the  Virginia 
line. 

He  was  distinguished  for  his  manly  fortitude  in  sustaining 
the  greatest  difficulties  and  dangers. 

He  led  one  of  the  attacking  columns,  at  the  surprise  of  the 
Hessians  at  Trenton,  where  he  received  a  severe  wound  from 
a  musket-ball  which  passed  entirely  through  his  hand.  He 
was  afterwards  appointed  a  major  in  a  regiment  of  dragoons, 


80  COLONEL    WILLIAM    A.    WASHINGTON. 

commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Baylor,  which  was  shortly 
after  surprised  by  a  detachment  of  the  enemy,  commanded 
by  General  Grey,  and  almost  cut  to  pieces.  Our  hero  for- 
tunately escaped,  and  in  the  year  following  joined  the  army 
of  General  Lincoln,  of  South  Carolina,  w^ith  whose  troops  he 
was  constantly  employed,  in  encounters  with  the  British,  first, 
near  Ashley  Ferry,  where  he  drove  back  the  cavalry  of  the 
British  legion,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Tarleton, 
and  took  several  prisoners  :  but  being  unsupported  by  infantry, 
he  gained  but  little  advantage  or  success. 

It  has  been  asserted,  and  it  is  believed  from  good  authority, 
that  Colonel  Washington  and  Tarleton  were  personally  en- 
gaged, and  that  during  the  skirmish,  Tarleton  lost  three  of 
his  fingers  from  a  stroke  from  the  sword  of  Colonel  Washing- 
ton. An  anecdote  is  related  and  believed  to  be  correct,  re- 
specting the  meeting  of  these  two  officers:  it  is  as  follows  : — 
Tarleton,  when  on  a  visit  to  an  American  family,  remarked, 
that  he  should  be  glad  to  get  another  look  at  this  Colonel 
Washington,  of  whom  he  had  heard  so  much :  when  a  lady 
in  company  quickly  observed,  "  What  a  pity  Colonel  Tarle- 
ton did  not  turn  his  head  when  he  lost  his  fingers !"  Sub- 
sequently, Colonel  Washington  was  attached  to  the  light 
corps,  commanded  by  General  Morgan ;  and  by  an  ingenious 
stratagem  carried  a  valuable  post  in  possession  of  the  British, 
called  Rugely's,  and  took  a  great  number  of  prisoners,  with- 
out firing  a  single  shot.  Aware  of  the  character  of  his  op- 
ponent. Colonel  Rugely,  he  placed  a  pine  log  on  the  wheels 
of  a  wagon,  so  painted  as  to  have  the  appearance,  at  a  dis- 
tance, of  a  field-piece,  threatening  immediate  destruction  if 
any  resistance  should  be  offered.  The  affrighted  Colonel 
begged  for  quarter  and  surrendered  without  difficulty ! 

Next  followed  the  brilliant  victory  of  the  Cowpens,  in 
which  Colonel  Washington  contributed  in  no  small  degree. 


COLONEL    WILLIAM    A.    WASHINGTON.  81 

His  ardor  in  this  contest  had  nearly  cost  him  his  life.     Ani- 
mating the  troops  to  the  pursuit  by  his  example,  he  advanced 
so  far  as  to  be  surrounded  by  several  British  officers.     At  the 
moment  when  the  sword  of  one  of  them  was  actually  raised 
for  his  destruction,  his  brave  bugleman  fired  a  pistol  which 
disabled  the  British  officer,  and  saved  the  life  of  his  gallant 
commander.     Shortly  after  his  cavalry  was  added  to  a  body 
of  horse  and  foot  selected  by   General  Greene,  and  placed 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Williams.     Colonel  Wash- 
ington was  happy  to  a  degree  in  baffling  the  effi^rts  of  Corn- 
wallis  to  force  Greene  to  a  battle.     He  took  a  very  conspicu- 
ous part  in  the  contest  at  Guildford  Courthouse,  where,  by  a 
spirited  and  daring  charge,  he  broke  the  British  regiment  of 
guards,  commanded  by  Colonel  Stewart,  w^howas  killed;  and 
with  the  brave  Colonel  Howard  and  his  gallant  Marylanders, 
nearly  effected  their  entire  destruction.     Colonel  Garden  re- 
lates the  following  remarks  made  to  him  by  an  officer  of 
distinction  in  the  army  of  the  enemy  :— "  I  was  near  Gene- 
ral Webster   when  the  charge  was  made  by   Washington. 
The  desperate  situation  of  the  guards  had  its  effect  on  all 
abound.     An  American  officer  quickly  perceiving  it,  rode  up 
to  the  British  line  and  called  aloud,  '  Surrender,  gentlemen, 
and  be  certain  of  good  quarters.'     Terrified  by  appearances, 
and  concluding  that  defeat  was  inevitable,  the  soldiers  of  the 
regiment  of  De  Bose  were  actually  throwing  down  their  arms. 
In  the  midst  of  the  confusion.  General  Webster,  famed  for 
great  presence  of  mind,  exclaimed,  '  Unless  that  gallant  fellow 
is  taken  off,  we  are  lost.'     A  field-piece  at  this  moment  was 
brought  up,  and  directed  to  be  fired  into  the  throng  where  the 
guards  now  appeared  to  be  greatly  outnumbered,  and  did  so 
with  the  happiest  success ;  the  cavalry  wheeled  off,  the  re- 
mains of  the  battalion  rallied,  and  the  army  was  saved." 
At  Hobkirk  Hill,  Colonel  Washington  added  another  wreath 
11 


82  COLONEL    WILLIAM    A.    WASHINGTON. 

to  his  well-earned  laurels.     Famous  for  skillful  maneuvering, 
he  cut  off  the  rear  of  the  British  line,  capturing  eleven  offi- 
cers and  two  hundred  men,  but  the  early  retreat  of  the  Ameri- 
can forces  prevented  his  bringing  more  than  fifty  of  his  pri- 
soners off  the  field;   these,  however,  contained  the   eleven 
officers.     At  the  battle  of  Eutaw,  his  repeated  charges  on  the 
British  Hght  infantry  were  signalized  by  extraordinary  bravery 
and  valor.     In  an  effort  which  required  all  his  courage,  his 
horse  was  shot  from  under  him,  and  becoming  entangled  as 
he  fell,  he  was  taken  prisoner.     This  was  the  closing  scene 
of  his  military  performances,  w^hich  had  always  been  charac- 
terized by  ardor,  bravery  and  decision;  he  knew  danger  only 
by  name,  and  though  unfortunate  at  last,  no  officer  in  the 
American  revolution  ever  in  a  higher  degree  merited  success. 
He  remained  a  prisoner  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
he  retired  to  his  plantation  at  Sandy  Hill,  about  thirty  miles 
from   Charleston,   South    CaroUna.      He   served   for  several 
years  as  a  member  of  the  legislature,  during  which  service  he 
was  persuaded  to  become  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  governor ; 
but  this  honor  he  respectfully  declined. 

He  married  a  lady  to  whom  he  had  become  attached  during 
his  imprisonment.  By  her  he  had  a  son  and  daughter.  After 
a  long  and  tedious  illness,  borne  by  the  most  heroic  and 
Christian  fortitude,  he  died  on  the  6th  of  March,  1810. 

By  a  resolve  of  Congress,  9th  March,  1781,  which  stated 
that  eighty  cavalry  and  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  infantry 
of  the  United  States,  and  five  hundred  and  fifty-three  south- 
ern militia,  obtained  a  complete  victory  over  a  select  and  well- 
appointed  detachment  of  more  than  eleven  hundred  British, 
commanded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Tarleton,  a  silver  medal 
was  ordered  to  be  struck  and  presented  to  Colonel  Washington, 
of  which  the  following  is  a  description : — 


COLONEL    WILLIAM    A.    WASHINGTON.  83 

Occasion. — Victory  at  the  Cowpens,  North  Carohna. 

Device. — An  officer  moTinted  at  the  head  of  a  body  of 
cavahy,  charging  flying  troops :  Victory  over  the  heads  of 
the  Americans,  holding  a  laurel  crown  in  her  right  hand,  and 
a  palm  branch  in  her  left. 

Legend. — Gulielmo  Washington  legionis  equit.  Praefecto 
comitia  Americana. 

Reverse. — Quod  parva  militum  manu  strenue  prospectus 
hostes,  virtutis  ingenitse  prteclarum  specionen  dedit  in  pregna 
ad  Cowpens,  17tli  January,  1781.  (Within  a  laurel  crown.) 
{See  Plate  I.) 


MAJOR    HENRY    LEE. 


Henry  Lee,  the  subject  of  the  following  sketch,  was 
born  in  Virginia  on  the  29th  of  January,  1756.  His  family 
was  one  of  the  most  respectable  among  the  first  settlers  of 
that  state.  His  father  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the 
provincial  assembly  of  Virginia.  Henry  Lee  was  prepared 
for  college  by  a  private  tutor  at  his  father's  residence,  and 
afterwards  graduated  at  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey, 
under  the  superintendence  of  Dr.  Witherspoon,  then  Presi- 
dent. 

Two  years  after  his  graduation,  and  in  the  twentieth  of 
his  age,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command,  as  captain,  of  one 
of  the  six  companies  of  cavalry,  raised  by  his  native  state ; 
the  whole  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Theodoric  Bland. 

During  the  campaigns  of  1775  and  1776,  there  was  not  a 
single  troop  of  horse  attached  to  the  continental  army.  Gene- 
ral Washington,  seeing  the  danger  arising  from  this,  was 
urgent  in  his  applications  to  Congress,  and  consequently  the 
Virginia  regiment  was  received  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States. 

Here,  under  the  immediate  eye  of  the  commander-in-chief, 
his  skill  in  discipline  and   gallant  bearing  rapidly  acquired 


1\IAJ0R    HENRY    LEE.  85 

confidence.  He  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major,  with  the 
command  of  a  separate  corps  of  cavalry.  From  his  able  and 
rigorous  attention  to  his  horses  and  men,  he  was  enabled  at 
all  times  to  act  with  promptness  and  efficiency.  Not  only  in 
attacking  light  parties  of  the  enemy,  but  in  foraging  and 
obtaining  information,  he  rendered  most  essential  service  to 
the  American  army. 

As  it  was  the  province  of  Lee  to  lay  near  the  British  lines 
to  discover  their  movements,  an  attempt  was  made  to  cut  off 
both  him  and  his  troops.  A  body  of  British  cavalry,  amount- 
ing to  about  two  hundred  men,  made  a  circuitous  route,  seiz- 
ing four  of  his  patrols,  and  came  unexpectedly  upon  him  in 
his  stone  house  used  as  quarters.  He  had  with  him  at  the 
time  but  te7i  men ;  the  majority  were  dispersed  in  search  of 
forage. 

With  this  small  but  gallant  band,  he  made  such  a  resolute 
and  determined  defence,  that  the  enemy  hastily  retreated, 
after  having  four  men  and  several  horses  killed,  with  one 
officer  and  three  men  wounded.  This  gallant  and  almost 
miraculous  affiiir  called  forth  from  his  commander-in-chief 
marks  of  his  warmest  approbation.  Congress  also  voted  him 
their  thanks  and  congratulations  upon  his  fortunate  escape. 
In  the  year  1779,  Lee  again  called  forth  the  approbation  of 
his  country,  by  the  successful  execution  of  a  plan  for  the 
capture  of  the  British  garrison,  stationed  at  Paulus  Hook, 
near  New  York. 

At  the  head  of  about  three  hundred  men,  he  completely 
surprised  the  garrison,  and  after  taking  one  hundred  and  sixty 
prisoners,  retreated  with  the  loss  of  but  two  men  killed  and 
three  wounded. 

As  a  reward  for  the  "prudence,  skill  and  bravery"  shown 
by  Major  Lee  in  the  affair  of  Paulus  Hook,  Congress  ordered 


86  MAJOR    HENRY    LEE. 

a  gold  medal  to  be  struck,  under  the  direction  of  the  board 
of  treasury,  and  presented  to  him ;  a  description  of  which 
will  be  given  at  the  end  of  this  memoir. 

Early  in  1780,  he  returned  with  his  legion  to  the  south, 
having  been  previously  promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant- 
colonel,  to  join  General  Greene,  who  was  then  watching  the 
movements  of  Cornwallis. 

At  the  celebrated  retreat  of  Greene,  before  Cornwallis,  the 
legion  of  Major  Lee  formed  the  rear-guard  of  the  American 
army ;  and  so  hasty  was  the  pursuit,  that  Lee,  coming  in  con- 
tact with  the  dragoons  of  Tarleton,  in  a  successful  charge, 
killed  eighteen,  ^nd  made  a  captain  and  fifteen  privates 
prisoners.  When  the  safety  of  General  Greene's  retreat  was 
certain,  Lee,  with  Colonel  Pickins,  was  detached  to  intercept 
and  watch  the  movements  of  Lord  Cornwallis.  Lee  now 
formed  a  plan  to  surprise  Tarleton,  and  on  their  way  to  exe- 
cute the  plan,  they  fell  in  with  some  messengers,  dispatched 
by  some  loyalists  to  Tarleton,  to  apprise  him  of  his  situation. 
These  messengers,  mistaking  the  legion  of  Lee  for  the  British, 
freely  communicated  the  object  of  their  errand,  which  enabled 
Lee  to  act  accordingly. 

He  particularly  distinguished  himself  in  the  battle  of  Guild- 
ford. Afterwards  he  succeeded  in  capturing  Fort  Cornwallis, 
and  other  forts. 

In  the  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs,  which  soon  followed,  his 
military  talents  were  again  exerted,  and  again  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  successful  issue  of  the  day.  Our  hero 
was  next  dispatched  by  General  Greene  to  lay  before  his 
commander-in-chief  the  exigencies  of  the  troops  under  his 
command.  Washington  w^as  then  engaged  in  the  siege  of 
Yorktown,  and  Lee  arrived  a  few  days  only  before  its  surren- 
der.    He  was  present  at  that  imposing  and  eventful  ceremony, 


MAJOR    HENRY    LEE.  87 

and,  after  having  executed  his  commission,  returned  again  to 
the  south.  The  health  of  Colonel  Lee  had  been  much  im- 
paired by  the  fatigues  and  hardships  he  had  undergone; 
besides,  he  fancied  himself  neglected,  and  his  services  under- 
rated. Under  the  influence  of  these  feelings,  he  sought  and 
obtained  permission  to  retire  from  the  army.  Soon  after  his 
return  to  Virginia,  he  married  Matilda,  the  daughter  of  Philip 
Ludwell  Lee,  and  settled  at  Stratford,  in  Westmoreland 
county. 

In  1786,  he  was  appointed  a  delegate  in  Congress  from 
Virginia,  in  which  body  he  remained  till  the  constitution  was 
adopted.  In  1791,  he  was  chosen  governor  of  Virginia,  and 
retained  the  office  three  years.  He  was  a  member  of  Con- 
gress at  the  death  of  General  Washington,  and  was  appointed 
by  Congress  to  deliver  an  eulogy  on  the  occasion.  He  re- 
tained his  seat  in  Congress  until  the  election  of  Jefferson  to 
the  chief  magistracy,  when  he  retired  into  private  life.  The 
last  years  of  this  gallant  officer  were  clouded  by  pecuniary 
embarrassments.  The  profuse  and  extravagant  mode  of  living 
in  Virginia  ruined  his  estate,  and  obliged  him  for  some  time 
to  submit  to  the  incarceration  of  a  prison. 

During  his  confinement  he  composed  his  memoirs  of  the 
southern  campaign,  in  which  he  had  been  one  of  the  princi- 
pal actors ;  the  events  of  which  he  had  so  good  an  opportu- 
nity of  knowing.  In  hopes  of  restoring  his  broken  health. 
Colonel  Lee  repaired  to  the  West  Indies,  in  order  to  try  a 
warmer  and  more  equable  climate ;  but  his  hopes  proved  futile, 
and  in  1818,  on  his  return  to  the  United  States,  he  died  on 
the  25th  of  March,  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Shaw,  on  Cumber- 
land Island,  near  St.  Mary's,  Georgia,  the  daughter  of  his  old 
friend  and  companion  in  arms.  General  Greene. 


88  MAJOR    HENRY    LEE. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Attack  on  Paulus  Hook. 

Device. — Bust  of  Colonel  Lee. 

Legend. — Henrico  Lee,  equit  prsefecto. 

Exergue. — Comitia  Americana. 

Reverse. — Non  obstantib  fluminibus,  vallis  astutia  et  vir- 
tute  bellica,  parva  manu  hostes  vicit  victosq.  Armis  humani- 
tate  devinxit.  In  men.  pugn.  ad  Paulus  Hook,  19th  August, 
1779.     (>See  Plate  IV.) 


-XA'-"- 


14 


^ 


u:/..t/,.,„../n-...,. 


GEN.    WINFIELD    SCOTT. 


WiNFiELD  Scott  was  born  on  the  13th.  of  June,  1785,  in 
the  county  of  Dinwiddle,  near  Petersburg,  Virginia.  De- 
signed for  the  profession  of  the  law,  he  received  a  hberal 
education,  and  graduated  at  William  and  Mary  College  in 
that  state.  In  1806,  having  completed  his  studies,  he  com- 
menced practice  at  the  bar,  with  talents  and  acquirements 
which  bade  fair  to  introduce  him  to  a  very  lucrative  business. 
In  1807,  the  aggressions  upon  our  defenceless  commerce,  by 
European  powers,  and  the  outrage  upon  the  frigate  Chesa- 
peake, roused  the  indignant  feelings  of  the  nation.  Redress 
w^as  promptly  called  for,  and  the  more  ardent  of  our  country- 
men prepared  for  an  immediate  war.  One  of  the  first  mea- 
sures, at  the  next  session  of  Congress,  was  to  pass  a  bill  for 
the  increase  of  the  army,  and  young  Scott  forsook  the  law, 
and  was  appointed  a  captain  in  a  regiment  of  light  artillery ; 
in  which  capacity  he  remained  prosecuting,  with  his  usual 
zeal,  his  military  studies,  until  the  declaration  of  war  in  1812, 
which  opened  a  more  arduous  field  for  the  exercise  of  his 
brilliant  talents. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1812,  Scott  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the  second  regiment  of  artillery ; 
12 


90  GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT. 

and  arrJA^ed  on  the  Niagara  frontier,  with  the  companies  of 
Towson  and  Barker,  and  was  posted  at  Black  Rock,  to  pro- 
tect the  navy  yard  at  that  place. 

On  the  13th  of  October,  the  attack  upon  Queenstown, 
under  Colonel  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  took  place. 

On  the  day  previous,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Scott  had  arrived 
with  his  regiment  at  Schlosser,  twelve  miles  from  Lewiston. 
The  object  of  this  movement  was  to  dispossess  the  enemy 
from  the  fort  and  village  of  Queenstown  Heights,  and  thus  to 
make  a  lodgment  for  the  American  troops  on  the  Canada 
shore,  the  invasion  of  Canada  being  then  the  leading  object 
of  the  northern  campaign.  Anxious  to  be  near  the  scene  of 
action,  Scott  obtained  permission  to  march  his  regiment  to 
Lewiston,  and  to  use  his  artillery  as  circumstances  might  di- 
rect. In  the  early  part  of  the  action  which  followed  he  bore 
no  part;  but  Colonels  Van  Rensselaer  and  Fenwick  having 
fallen  severely  wounded.  Colonel  Scott's  request  to  cross  the 
river  was  finally  acceded  to.  The  enemy  was  driven  from 
the  heights,  which  were  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, who  gallantly  repulsed  an  attack  under  General  Brock, 
who  had  come  up  with  reinforcements,  but  was  himself  killed 
in  the  engagement. 

On  his  arrival.  Colonel  Scott  found  the  troops  in  great 
disorder.  Announcing  his  name  and  rank,  he  immediately 
formed  them  into  line.  Colonel  Scott's  attention  was  first 
directed  to  an  eighteen  pounder,  which  the  enemy,  in  his 
retreat,  had  left  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  after  having 
hastily  spiked  it ;  and  he  proceeded  in  person  to  direct  the 
measures  for  rendering  the  piece  again  useful.  Returning  in 
a  short  time,  he  was  surprised  to  find  a  large  body  of  Indians 
preparing  to  attack  the  American  lines,  while  the  troops, 
already  in  some  confusion,  were  on  the  point  of  giving  way. 
His  presence  soon  changed  the  state  of  affairs,  and  the  savages 


GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT.  91 

were  compelled  to  make  a  hasty  retreat.  With  an  unanimous 
burst  of  enthusiasm,  the  line  suddenly  rallied  from  right  to 
left,  threw  itself  forward  upon  the  enemy,  putting  him  to 
precipitate  flight,  and  leaving  the  ground  strewed  with  the 
dead  and  wounded.  In  this  manner  successive  conflicts  were 
kept  up,  till  a  reinforcement  of  British  arrived,  under  the 
command  of  Major  General  Sheaffe. 

Colonel  Scott  now  perceiving  that  a  crisis  must  be  near  at 
hand,  every  effort  was  made  by  the  commanding  officers  to 
induce  the  American  militia,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
to  cross  over  to  the  assistance  of  their  countrymen,  but  in 
vain.  Entreaty  was  wasted  upon  them,  and  as  all  the  boats 
were  upon  the  American  side,  the  little  band  under  Scott  was 
left  to  await  a  fate  from  which  there  was  no  retreat.  All  had 
now  been  done  that  was  required  by  honor,  and  longer  re- 
sistance would  only  have  sacrificed  in  vain  the  lives  of  brave 
men.  Terms  of  capitulation  being  agreed  upon,  Colonel 
Scott  surrendered  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  his  whole 
force,  now  reduced  to  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  regulars, 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  militia ;  in  all  two  hundred 
and  ninety-three  men.  Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Queens- 
town  Heights;  an  engagement  desultory  in  its  movements, 
but  unfortunate  in  its  results.  From  Queenstown,  Scott  was 
sent  to  Quebec ;  whence,  upon  being  exchanged,  he  soon  after 
embarked  for  Boston.  Previous  to  this,  however,  one  of  those 
scenes  occurred  in  which  the  decision  of  character  of  Colonel 
Scott  was  most  strikingly  displayed. 

When  the  prisoners  were  embarked  on  board  the  transport 
to  be  conveyed  to  Boston,  they  were  first  mustered  on  the 
deck  by  British  officers,  and  every  man  whose  accent  betrayed 
his  British  birth,  was  set  apart  to  be  sent  to  England  as  a 
traitor,  there  to  be  tried  and  executed.  As  soon  as  Scott 
became  aware  of  what  was  going  on,  he  mstantly  forbade  his 


92  GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT. 

soldiers  to  make  further  answer.  Twenty-three  had  already 
been  set  apart  for  a  shameful  death.  After  the  command  from 
their  Colonel,  no  threats  from  the  British  officer  could  induce 
the  men  again  to  speak.  Scott,  amidst  constant  interrup- 
tions from  the  British  officer,  addressed  the  men,  encouraged 
them  to  be  of  good  cheer,  and  solemnly  pledged  himself  to 
them,  that  if  a  hair  of  the  head  of  one  of  them  was  touched, 
because  of  their  having  served  in  the  American  army,  retalia- 
tion should  be  made  upon  British  prisoners  in  the  hands  of 
the  Americans.  These  twenty-three  men,  all  Irish,  were, 
nevertheless,  put  in  irons  and  sent  to  England,  bearing  with 
them  the  pledge  of  a  gallant  soldier,  who,  they  knew,  would 
not  fail  them.  His  first  care,  on  his  arrival  at  Boston,  was  to 
lay  the  whole  circumstances  before  the  secretary  of  war,  who 
communicated  the  same  to  Congress.  A  law  was  passed  vest- 
ing the  President  with  the  power  of  retaliation,  and  two 
months  after,  at  the  capture  of  Fort  George,  Scott  having 
made  many  prisoners,  true  to  his  pledge,  selected  twenty- 
three  of  his  prisoners,  and  confined  them  to  abide  the  fate  of 
the  twenty-three  naturalized  Americans.  In  making  this 
selection,  Scott  was  careful  not  to  include  a  single  Irishman. 
The  British  authorities  saw  the  peril,  and,  it  may  be  pre- 
sumed, the  injustice  of  the  step  they  had  taken,  and  not  one 
of  the  prisoners  was  tried  or  harmed.  The  sequel  to  the 
foregoing  narrative  is  told  by  his  biographer,  and  must  be 
read  with  interest.  In  July,  1815,  when  peace  had  been  some 
months  concluded,  and  Scott  (then  a  major-general),  was  pass- 
ing along  on  the  East  River  side  of  the  city  of  New  York, 
he  was  attracted  by  loud  cheers  and  bustle  on  one  of  the 
piers.  He  approached  the  scene,  and  great  was  his  delight 
to  find  that  it  was  the  cheer  of  his  old  Irish  friends,  in  whose 
behalf  he  had  interfered  at  Quebec,  and  who  had  that  moment 
landed  in  triumph,  after  a  confinement  of  more  than  two 


GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT.  93 

years  in  English  prisons !  He  was  quickly  recognized  by 
them,  hailed  as  their  deliverer,  and  nearly  crushed  by  their 
warm-hearted  embraces !  Twenty-one  were  present,  two 
having  died  natural  deaths.  Scott  had  not  then  recovered 
from  the  wounds  he  had  received  in  the  bloody  battle  of  the 
Niagara,  and  was  about  to  embark  on  a  voyage  to  Europe. 
Yet,  in  conformity  with  the  promises  of  friendship  he  had 
made  with  these  men,  he  found  time  to  write  to  the  depart- 
ments at  Washington,  and  solicit  for  them  their  patents  for 
land  bounties,  and  their  long  arrearages  of  pay.  He  was 
successful,  and  they  were  at  length  restored  both  to  their 
adopted  country  and  their  promised  rewards.  Several  of 
these  brave  sons  of  Ireland  are  yet  alive,  and  can  testify  to 
the  truth  of  this  narrative. 

Shortly  after  the  capture  of  York,  the  capital  of  Upper 
Canada,  in  1813,  Colonel  Scott  joined  the  army  at  Fort 
Niagara.  He  joined  in  the  capacity  of  adjutant-general, 
(chief  of  the  staff,)  under  the  command  of  Major-General 
Dearborn.  Though  thus  engaged  in  staff  duties,  he  insisted 
upon  the  right,  and  it  was  conceded,  of  commanding  his  own 
regiment  on  extraordinary  occasions.  On  the  British  side  of 
the  Niagara  was  a  peninsula,  of  w^hich  Fort  George  was  the 
defence.  This  position  General  Dearborn  was  determined  to 
carry.  The  first  act  of  Colonel  Scott  was  in  leading  the 
advanced  column  of  the  attack,  which  so  completely  suc- 
ceeded that  the  enemy  was  driven  from  the  work  and  the  field ; 
and  but  for  repeated  and  peremptory  orders,  Scott  would 
probably  have  captured  the  whole  British  force.  Fort  George, 
the  colors  of  which  had  been  taken  down  by  Colonel  Scott 
himself,  became  the  head  quarters  of  the  American  troops, 
and  in  command  of  it  Colonel  Scott  was  left,  when  the  main 
body  of  the  army  went  dow^n  the  St.  Lawrence,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  that  year,  to  attack  Montreal.     The  whole  summer 


94  GENERAL    WINFIELD    yCOTT. 

passed  without  any  attack  from  the  British,  when  Scott 
obtained  permission  to  turn  Fort  George  over  to  General 
McLure,  of  the  New  York  militia,  and  to  join  the  main  army 
at  Sacket's  Harbor ;  marching  to  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee 
river,  where  the  commander-in-chief  promised  that  transports 
should  meet  him.  It  is  well  known  that  the  expedition,  after 
exciting  much  expectation,  finally  resulted  in  utter  failure. 
The  troops  endured  great  fatigue,  and  encountered  consider- 
able danger  in  the  difficult  and  perilous  navigation  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  without  obtaining  an  opportunity  of  distinguishing 
themselves  or  benefiting  their  country.  This  unlucky  cam- 
paign was,  however,  brilliantly  redeemed  by  that  of  the  fol- 
lowing year.  On  the  9th  of  March,  1814,  Colonel  Scott  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General,  and  he  joined 
General  Brown  on  his  route  to  Niagara,  in  the  commence- 
ment of  the  next  month. 

Soon  after  General  Brown  was  called  to  Sacket's  Harbor, 
and  the  command,  in  consequence,  devolved  upon  General 
Scott,  who  immediately  assembled  the  army  and  established 
a  camp  of  instruction.  His  whole  attention  was  now  given 
to  perfecting  the  discipline  of  the  troops,  to  give  them  that 
celerity  and  combination  of  movement,  whicii  in  modern 
times  has  made  war  a  science,  and  rendered  individual 
prowess  of  so  little  avail.  For  two  months  and  a  half  the 
troops  were  drilled  daily,  from  seven  to  nine  hours  each  day, 
until  finally  they  exhibited  a  perfection  of  discipline  never 
before  attained  in  our  army.  They  were  now  prepared  to 
meet  on  terms  of  equality  the  veteran  troops  of  the  enemy, 
and  they  soon  had  an  opportunity  of  showing  the  advantages 
they  had  derived  from  their  instruction.  In  June,  Major 
General  Brown  reached  Buffalo  with  reinforcements,  and  in 
the  commencement  of  the  next  month  the  campaign  was 
opened. 


GENERAL    AVTNFIELD    SCOTT.  95 

The  Niagara  was  passed  on  the  3d  of  July  in  two  brigades, 
Scott's  and  Ripley's,  the  former  below,  the  latter  above  Fort 
Erie,  which  almost  immediately  surrendered.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  4th,  the  army  moved  towards  Chippewa,  General 
Scott's  brigade  beinof  in  advance ;  and  on  the  evenin^r  of  the 
same  day,  took  up  a  position  on  the  bank  of  Street's  Creek, 
about  two  miles  distant  from  the  British  encampment.  The 
stream  w^as  in  front  of  the  American  position,  having  beyond 
it  an  extensive  plain ;  its  right  rested  upon  tlie  Niagara,  and 
its  left  upon  a  wood.  On  the  following  day  the  British 
militia  and  the  Indians  having  occupied  the  wood,  commenced 
annoying  the  American  piquets  from  it,  until  Brigadier  Gene- 
ral Porter,  at  the  head  of  his  brigade  of  militia  and  friendly 
Indians,  drove  the  enemy  from  the  wood  back  upon  the  Chip- 
pewa. The  British  regulars  being  here  supported  by  their 
whole  army,  drawn  out  in  line  and  advancing  to  the  attack. 
General  Porter,  in  his  turn,  was  compelled  to  give  way.  The 
heaviness  of  the  firing  informed  General  Brown  of  the  ad- 
vance of  the  main  body  of  the  enemy.  It  was  now^  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  General  Scott  was  at  this 
moment  advancing  with  his  brigade  to  drill  upon  the  plain, 
on  which  the  battle  was  afterwards  fought.  On  the  march 
he  met  General  Brown,  who  said  to  him,  "  The  enemy  is 
advancing.  You  will  have  a  fight."  Beyond  this  brief 
remark,  Scott  received  no  further  orders  during  the  day. 
General  Brown  passed  to  the  rear,  to  put  Ripley's  brigade  in 
motion,  and  to  reassemble  the  light  troops  behind  Street's 
Creek.  It  was  not  till  he  arrived  at  the  bridge  over  Street's 
Creek,  two  hundred  yards  to  the  right  of  his  camp  of  the 
night  before,  that  Scott  saw  the  enemy. 

The  army  of  Riall  had  crossed  the  bridge  over  Chippewa, 
and  displayed  itself  on  the  plain  before  described.  It  was 
composed  of  the  one  hundredth  regiment,  under  Lieutenant- 


96  GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT. 

Colonel,  the  Marquis  of  Tweedale ;  the  first,  or  Royal  Scots, 
under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon;  a  portion  of  the  eighth, 
or  King's  own  regiment ;  a  detachment  of  the  royal  artillery ; 
a  detachment  of  the  royal  nineteenth  light  dragoons ;  and  a 
portion  of  Canada  militia  and  Indians.  The  main  body  of 
these  troops  were  among  the  best  in  the  British  army.  This 
force  was  supported  by  a  heavy  battery  of  nine  pieces,  within 
point  blank  range  of  the  American  troops.  Under  the  fire  of 
this  battery,  the  corps  of  General  Scott  passed  the  bridge  in 
perfect  order,  but  with  some  loss.  His  first  and  second  battal- 
ions, under  Majors  Leavenworth  and  McNeil,  after  crossing, 
formed  a  line  to  the  front,  which  brought  them  opposed  re- 
spectively to  the  left  and  centre  of  the  enemy.  The  third 
battalion  under  Major,  (now  General  Jessup,)  obliqued  in 
column  to  the  left,  and  advanced  to  attack  the  right  of  the 
enemy,  which  extended  into  the  wood.  Captain  (now  Gene- 
ral Towson)  with  his  artillery,  was  stationed  on  the  right, 
resting  in  the  Chippewa  road.  General  Scott  soon  perceived 
that,  although  there  were  no  intervals  in  the  British  line,  yet 
their  right  wing  outflanked  his  left. 

To  remedy  this  difficulty,  the  movement  of  Jessup  was 
caused,  and  the  interval  between  the  battalions  of  Leaven- 
worth and  McNeil  on  the  plain,  was  greatly  enlarged.  These 
evolutions  were  executed  rapidly  and  with  great  precision, 
under  the  fire  of  both  mlisketry  and  artillery.  The  action 
soon  became  general;  Jessup,  having  engaged  and  broken  off 
the  right  wing  of  the  enemy,  while  their  main  body  continued 
to  advance,  gave  their  army  a  new  flank.  Taking  advantage 
of  this  circumstance,  and  assisted  by  the  enlarged  interval 
between  the  battalions  of  Leavenworth  and  McNeil,  General 
Scott  threw  the  battalion  of  the  latter  forward  upon  its  right 
flank,  so  as  to  stand  obliquely  to  the  charge  of  the  enemy, 
outflanking  them  upon  the  right.     This  movement,  executed 


GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT.  97 

with  piiecision,  together  with  the  steadiness  of  our  troops  and 
the  heavy  fire  from  the  artillery,  decided  the  fate  of  the  day. 
The  British  army  retreated  a  short  distance  in  good  order, 
then  broke,  and  fled  .in  confusion  to  their  entrenchments,  be- 
yond the  Chippewa.  Thus  was  the  whole  British  line  fairly 
routed,  in  a  field  action,  on  an  open  plain.  They  fled  to  their 
entrenchments  beyond  the  Chippewa,  hotly  pursued  by  Scott, 
to  the  distance  of  half-musket  shot  of  Chippewa  bridge.  He 
took  many  prisoners,  leaving  the  plain  strewed  with  the  dead 
and  wounded  of  both  nations.  Justly,  indeed,  did  General 
Brown,  in  his  official  report  of  the  battle,  say : — "  Brigadier- 
General  Scott  is  entitled  to  the  highest  praise  our  country 
can  bestow :  to  him,  more  than  to  any  other  man,  I  am  in- 
debted for  the  victory  of  the  5th  of  July." 

The  fight  was  fierce  and  bloody  in  an  unwonted  degree, 
the  killed  on  both  sides  amounting  to  eight  hundred  and 
thirty,  out  of  about  four  thousand  engaged — more  than  one 
in  five.  This  gallant  action  was  followed  in  just  three  weeks 
by  another  yet  more  decisive  of  the  courage  and  discipline 
of  the  American  army — that  at  Lundy's  Lane. 

General  Riall,  unknown  to  General  Brown,  had  been 
largely  reinforced  by  General  Drummond  from  below ;  and 
when,  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  of  July,  General  Scott,  in 
advance,  was  on  a  march  to  attack  General  Riall's  forces,  he 
suddenly  came  upon  the  British  troops,  which,  reinforced 
that  very  day  by  Drummond,  were  themselves  bent  on  attack. 
Scott  had  with  him  but  four  small  battalions,  commanded 
by  Brady,  Jessup,  Leavenworth  and  McNeil ;  and  Towson's 
artillery,  with  Captain  Harris'  detachment  of  regular  and 
irregular  cavalry.  The  whole  column  did  not  exceed  one 
thousand  three  hundred  men.  With  this  small  force,  Scott 
found  himself  in  the  presence  of  a  superior  body.  His  posi- 
13 


98  GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT. 

tion  was  critical,  but  it  was  one  of  those  where  promptness 
and  decision  of  action  must  supply  the  w^ant  of  battalions. 

Dispatching  officers  to  the  rear  to  apprise  General  Brown 
that  the  whole  British  army  was  before  him,  General  Scott 
at  once  engaged  the  enemy,  who  all  the  while  believed  they 
had  to  do  with  the  whole  of  General  Brown's  army,  not  at  all 
expecting  that  a  mere  detachment  of  it  would  venture  upon 
the  apparently  desperate  course  of  encountering  such  greatly 
superior  numbers  as  the  British  knew  they  had  in  the  field. 
The  battle  began  about  half  an  hour  before  sunset.  The  armies 
were  drawn  out  near  the  shores  of  that  rapid  river  w^hose 
current  mingles  lake  with  lake ;  and  as  his  able  biographer 
beautifully  observes : — "  Hard  by  was  the  Cataract,  w^hose 
w^orld  of  waters  rushes  over  the  precipice,  and  rushing,  roars 
into  the  gulf  below !  The  ceaseless  spray  rises  up,  like  in- 
cense, to  the  Eternal  Father  !  The  beams  of  sun,  and  moon, 
and  stars,  fall  ceaselessly  on  that  spray,  and  are  sent  back  in 
many-colored  hues  to  the  source  of  light !  So  it  was  when, 
wheeling  into  the  field  of  battle,  the  slant  beams  of  the  set- 
ting sun,  returning  from  the  spray,  encircled  the  advancing 
column  with  rainbow  colors  !  The  sun  went  down,  to  many 
an  eye,  no  more  to  rise  on  earth !  With  the  darkness  came 
the  greater  rage  of  battle — charge  after  charge  was  made. 
For  a  time  the  faint  beams  of  the  moon  struggled  with  the 
smoke,  and  gave  a  little  light  to  the  combatants ;  but  it  was 
but  little.  The  moon  itself  became  obscured,  and  no  light, 
save  the  rapid  flashes  of  musket  and  cannon,  pierced  the 
heavy  clouds.  The  fight  raged  in  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
From  the  height  on  the  ridge,  the  battery  of  the  enemy  still 
poured  its  deadly  fire.  It  was  then  the  gallant  Miller  said, 
*I  WILL  TRY.'  It  was  then  that  Scott  piloted  his  column 
through  darkness  to  Lundy's  Lane.     It  was  then  that  brave 


GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT.  99 

regiment  charged  to  the  cannon's  mouth.  The  battery  was 
taken.     The  victory  rests  with  the  American  army." 

Twice  had  Scott  charged  through  the  British  Unes — two 
horses  had  been  killed  under  him — he  was  wounded  in  the 
side — and  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  on  foot,  and  yet  fight- 
ing, he  was  finally  disabled  by  a  shot  which  shattered  the  left 
shoulder,  and  he  was  borne  away  about  midnight  from  the 
battle — his  commander,  General  Brown,  having  been  pre- 
viously, in  like  manner,  carried  away  wounded  from  the  field. 
The  wounds  of  General  Scott,  which  were  severe,  confined 
him  for  a  long  time  ;  nor  had  he  again  an  opportunity  of  dis- 
tinguishing himself  before  the  conclusion  of  peace  put  an 
end  to  all  active  service  in  the  field.  In  the  mean  time  his 
sufferings  were  alleviated  by  the  testimonials  of  the  approba- 
tion and  gratitude  of  his  countrymen.  Congress  ordered  a 
vote  of  thanks,  and  a  gold  medal  {See  Plate  V).  Virginia  and 
New  York  each  presented  valuable  swords.  He  was  also 
elected  an  honorary  member  of  the  Cincinnati,  and  number- 
less states  named  new  counties  after  him.  In  the  long  interval 
of  comparative  inaction  w^hich  followed  the  close  of  the  war, 
General  Scott's  services  were  made  available  to  the  general 
government, — first,  in  that  most  painful  task  of  reducing  the 
army  to  a  peace  establishment,  which  necessarily  imposed  on 
the  general  great  responsibility.  The  next  important  benefit 
rendered,  and  w^hich,  perhaps,  was  not  the  least  of  all  the 
many  he  was  capable  of  rendering,  was  to  translate  from  the 
French,  prepare,  digest,  and  adapt  to  our  service,  a  complete 
system  of  military  tactics.  In  the  execution  of  this  trust,  his 
previous  military  studies  gave  him  great  facilities  and  advan- 
tages over  his  brother  officers. 

In  March,  1817,  General  Scott  was  married  to  Miss  Maria 
Mayo,  daughter  of  John  Mayo,  Esq.,  of  Richmond,  Virginia 
— a  lady  whose  charms  and  accomplishments  are  much  ad- 


100  GENERAL    WINFIELD    SCOTT. 

mired  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.     They  have  iiad 
several  daughters,  but  no  Hving  son. 

Such  is  the  brief  memoir  of  General  Winfield  Scott,  ex- 
tracted from  his  life,  so  ably  portrayed  by  Edward  D.  Mans- 
field, Esq.  General  Scott  is  now  in  the  sixty-second  year  of 
his  age,  and  retains,  to  a  remarkable  degree,  all  the  vigor  and 
buoyancy  of  youth.  At  the  head  of  our  armies  at  war  with  a 
neighboring  republic,  all  eyes  are  directed  to  him  as  the  chief 
of  that  gallant  band  upon  whom  must  depend  the  honor  and 
success  of  our  arms. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL    PRESENTED   TO    GENERAL    SCOTT. 

Occasion. — Battles  of  Chippewa  and  Niagara. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Scott. 

Legend. — Major  General  Winfield  Scott. 

Reverse. — Resolution  of  Congress,  November  3d,  1814. 
Battles  of  Chippewa,  July  5th,  1814 ;  Niagara,  July  25th, 
1814.  Surrounded  by  a  wreath  of  laurel  and  palm  entwining 
a  snake. 


GEN.    E.    P.    GAINES. 


Edmund  Pendleton  Gaines  was  born  in  the  county  of 
Culpepper,  Virginia,  on  the  20th  of  March,  1777.  His  father, 
James  Gaines,  served  in  the  latter  part  of  the  revolutionary 
war  at  the  head  of  a  company  of  volunteers,  and  having  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  the  north-west  border  of  North  Caro- 
lina, he  was  soon  after  chosen  a  member  of  the  legislature  of 
that  state.  He  was  the  nephew  of  Edmund  Pendleton,  for 
many  years  presiding  judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  one  of  those  illustrious  statesmen  whose  services 
were  most  prominent  in  the  cause  which  produced  a  Wash- 
ington, and  enrolled  the  names  of  Jefferson,  Madison,  Ran- 
dolph and  Mason,  among  the  most  distinguished  in  the  annals 
of  American  history.  To  the  early  affectionate  solicitude  and 
pious  care  of  a  highly  gifted  mother,  may  be  imputed  the  strict 
integrity,  and  devoted  sense  of  duty,  which  have  always  dis- 
tinguished the  subject  of  this  memoir;  to  whose  prudence 
and  excellent  example  he  acknowledges  himself  indebted  for 
the  high  sense  of  honor  and  rectitude  which  have  been  his 
support  amid  the  trying  and  eventful  scenes  of  his  life. 


102  GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  of  independence,  his  father  returned 
to  his  estate  in  North  CaroHna,  consisting  of  some  hundred 
acres.  He,  hke  most  of  his  neighbors,  had  lost  his  money  in 
the  form  of  valueless  continental  bills.  In  these  circum- 
stances, at  this  period,  all  classes  were  more  or  less  involved. 

Edmund,  now  in  his  thirteenth  }ear,  assisted  his  father  in 
the  toils  of  agriculture.  His  heart  became  early  imbued  with 
the  pleasures  which  result  from  the  performance  of  duties, 
and  his  health  invigorated  by  such  wholesome  exercise. 

About  this  period,  his  father  removed  his  family  to  Sullivan 
county,  (afterwards  the  eastern  part  of  Tennessee,)  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  which  the  Cherokee  Indians  were  con- 
stantly committing  depredations.  With  these  Indians  the 
United  States  were  at  that  time,  and  continued  to  be  for 
several  years  afterwards,  at  war.  Surrounded  by  hostilities, 
our  hero's  thoughts  now  actually  turned  to  arms,  and  he 
employed  his  leisure  hours  in  the  study  of  such  military 
works  as  were  within  his  reach.  By  the  time  he  was  four- 
teen, he  had  acquired  such  skill  in  the  management  of  the 
rifle,  as  to  excel  most  of  his  young  associates.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen,  he  was  elected  lieutenant  of  a  rifle  company  of 
volunteers,  which  was  raised  at  that  time  as  a  terror  to  the 
Cherokees,  who  were  a  continual  annoyance  to  the  neighbor- 
hood. In  January,  1799,  he  was  appointed  an  ensign,  and 
attached  to  the  sixth  United  States  regiment,  and  ordered  on 
duty  in  the  recruiting  service.  In  the  following  year  the  sixth 
regiment  w^as  disbanded,  and  Ensign  Gaines  was  transferred 
to  the  fourth  infantry,  as  second  lieutenant. 

In  1801,  Colonel  Butler,  who  commanded  the  fourth  regi- 
ment, was  instructed  to  select  the  subalterns  of  that  regiment 
best  qualified  for  making  a  topographical  survey  from  Nash- 
ville to  Natchez,  for  the  location  of  a  military  road. 


GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES.  103 

He  appointed  Lieutenant  Gaines,  who,  in  the  performance 
of  this  duty,  and  in  the  survey  of  certain  Indian  boundary 
lines,  near  the  Choctaw  nation,  was  engaged  until  the  win- 
ter of  1804.  In  that  year,  Spain  having  refused  to  with- 
draw her  troops  from  the  military  posts  of  Mobile  and  Baton 
Rouge,  and  deliver  up  the  country  lying  between  the  island 
of  Orleans  and  the  rivers  Iberville,  Mississippi  and  Perdido, 
as  a  part  of  Louisiana,  the  President  of  the  United  States 
determined  to  appoint  a  military  collector  of  the  customs,  for 
the  district  of  Mobile,  and  appointed  Lieutenant  Gaines  to 
that  office. 

He  accordingly  was  stationed  at  Fort  Stoddart,  thirty-six 
miles  north  of  the  town  of  Mobile,  in  the  confident  expecta- 
tion of  sooner  or  later  having  the  honor  of  taking  possession 
of  the  disputed  territory.  In  1806,  in  addition  to  the  duties 
hitherto  assigned  to  him,  Lieutenant  Gaines  was  appointed 
postmaster,  and  also  agent  to  the  postmaster-general,  with 
authority  to  suspend  all  postmasters  and  mail  contractors 
who  were  in  any  wise  aiding  persons  supposed  to  be  engaged 
in  the  machinations  of  Colonel  Burr.  In  the  interim,  he 
was  promoted  to  a  captaincy.  Captain  Gaines,  as  command- 
ant of  Fort  Stoddart,  was  authorized  to  employ  such  of  the 
United  States  troops  as  should  be  deemed  necessary  for  the 
protection  of  the  mail,  and  inspectors  of  the  revenue  between 
the  city  of  Orleans  and  Athens,  Georgia,  then  a  wilderness  of 
nearly  six  hundred  miles  in  extent.  Having  performed  the 
arduous  duties  of  this  situation  to  the  perfect  satisfaction  of 
his  government,  for  nearly  five  years.  Captain  Gaines  deter- 
mined to  retire  from  the  army,  and  engage  in  the  profession 
of  the  law.  But  the  increased  probability  of  a  war  with 
England,  for  a  time  suspended  this  resolution.  He  at  length 
decided  upon  asking  for  leave  of  absence. 

In  this  interval  he  commenced  the  practice  of  law,  in  the 


104  GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES. 

counties  of  Washington  and  Baldwin,  Mississippi  territory ; 
but  scarcely  had  he  completed  his  first  year's  practice,  when 
war  was  declared  against  Great  Britain,  and  Captain  Gaines 
joyfully  resumed  his  sword,  never  again  to  abandon  it  as  long 
as  his  country  should  need  his  services. 

In  the  war  which  followed,  it  will  be  seen  that  our  hero 
was  among  the  most  steadfast  in  the  performance  of  every 
arduous  duty. 

In  the  greatest  danger  he  was  distinguished  alike  by  the 
fertility  of  his  resources,  the  coolness  of  his  courage,  and  the 
amiable  simplicity  of  his  manners.  In  his  operations  on  the 
northern  frontier,  his  gallant  conduct  received  the  highest 
commendation.  At  the  battle  of  Chrystler's  Fields,  on  the 
11th  of  November,  1813,  Colonel  Gaines  commanded  the 
twenty-fifth  regiment  of  United  States  infantry.  He  was 
deprived  of  the  honor  of  a  participation  in  the  glory  of  Har- 
rison's victory  on  the  Thames,  by  a  long  and  serious  illness ; 
but  his  brave  regiment  was  one  of  the  most  effective,  on  the 
memorable  11th,  covering  the  retreat  of  our  several  corps, 
after  the  check  received  by  the  enemy,  to  their  re-embarkation 
on  the  St.  Lawrence. 

The  relative  strength  of  the  two  armies,  when  Colonel 
Gaines,  who  had  recently  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major- 
General,  arrived  at  Fort  Erie,  and  took  command  on  the 
morning  of  the  4th  of  August,  1814,  was  as  follows: — the 
British  veteran  force  amounted  to  a  fraction  over  three  thou- 
sand six  hundred  officers  and  men,  besides  six  hundred  Cana- 
dians and  Indians — making  altogether  an  aggregate  of  more 
than  four  thousand  two  hundred.  This  force  was  opposed  by 
only  nineteen  hundred  United  States  regulars,  and  six  hundred 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania  volunteers,  making  the  aggre- 
gate strength  for  duty,  nearly  two  thousand  five  hundred.  On 
the  following  day,  August  5th,  commenced  the  first  of  those 


GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES.  105 

actions,  consisting  of  a  vigorous  cannonade  and  bombardment, 
with  alternate  sharp  conflicts  between  the  infantry  and  rifle 
corps  of  the  two  armies,  with  occasional  skirmishing,  which 
were  kept  up  with  a  degree  of  vigor,  daily  and  successively, 
until  tlie  morning  of  the  15th.  These  daily  conflicts  were  so 
conducted  as  to  pave  the  way  for  the  more  important  victory 
which  was  to  follow. 

Although  the  losses  in  these  smaller  actions  amounted  to 
considerably  more  than  those  sustained  in  the  battle  of  the 
15th,  still  they  were  carried  on  in  a  spirit  and  temper,  evincing 
a  determination  on  the  part  of  every  officer  and  soldier  to 
maintain  the  old-fashioned  maxim,  namely,  "Victory  or 
Death."  This  sanguinary  battle  of  the  15th,  with  the  other 
actions  of  the  following  fourteen  days,  were  altogether  so 
conducted  as  to  secure  to  a  moral  certainty,  not  only  the  safety 
of  the  whole  northwestern  frontier,  but  to  cover  the  war-worn 
division  with  imperishable  fame,  by  a  series  of  triumphs  ex- 
tending throughout  the  months  of  August  and  September, 
1814,  the  value  and  moral  effect  of  which,  can  only  be  rightly 
estimated  by  the  statesman  or  soldier  capable  of  counting  the 
cost  of  blood  and  treasure,  which  must  have  followed  the 
sacrifice  of  that  division — and  the  consequent  recombination 
of  a  British  army  flushed  with  victory — and  their  lately  whipt, 
and,  therefore,  doubly  ferocious  savage  friends  and  allies — 
with  free  access  to  a  sparsely  settled  and  unprotected  frontier 
of  near  twelve  hundred  miles  in  extent,  from  Buffalo  to  Lake 
Michigan,  and  thence  to  the  upper  Mississippi,  Missouri  and 
Arkansas :  a  frontier  embracing  an  extensive  section  of  the 
then  suffering  northwestern  settlements,  that  had  during  the 
first  fourteen  months  of  the  war  been  bleeding  at  every  pore. 
And  this  deplorable  catastrophe  to  have  followed  upon  the 
heels  of  the  fiendish  and  disgraceful  scenes  which  terminated 
in  the  taking,  sacking,  and  burning  the  capitol  of  our  beloved 
14 


106  GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES. 

Union.  The  total  defeat  of  this  crippled  and  maimed  rem- 
nant of  Brown's  heroic  division,  a  catastrophe  which,  from  the 
night  of  the  2bth  of  July,  to  the  fourth  of  the  follorving  month 
— to  many  brave  officers  of  high  rank — [one  of  rvhom  rvas  at 
the  head  of  a  brigade,)  seemed  to  be  inevitable,  without  an  im- 
mediate abandonment  of  Canada,  might  have  prolonged  the 
war,  with  its  increasing  horrors  of  the  massacre  and  scalping  of 
women  and  children,  for  seven  years.  This  mutilated  remnant 
of  our  noble  division,  however,  gallantly  met  and  gloriously 
triumphed  over  a  veteran  British  army  of  near  double  our 
numbers  during  twenty  consecutive  days,  and  some  nights, 
and  accomplished  these  triumphs  before  the  harassed  and 
broken  down  war  department  could  send  on  the  requisite 
reinforcements,  to  give  our  operations  the  offensive  in  place  of 
the  defensive  cast,  and  increased  vigorous  character. 

The  great  and  gallant  state  of  New  York,  with  her  Tom- 
kins,  and  her  Clintons,  and  her  Porter,  and  her  Spencer,  and 
hosts  of  other  master  spirits  of  this  state,  Pennsylvania,  and 
Ohio,  soon  devised  measures  to  put  in  rapid  motion  the  chiv- 
alry— constituting  the  minute-men  of  the  volunteers  around 
them — and  these  sanguinary  conflicts,  which  commenced  on 
the  5th,  and  continued  until  the  28th  of  August,  under  the 
direction  of  the  gallant  Gaines,  from  thence  until  the  5th 
of  September,  under  Miller,  and  to  the  10th,  under  Ripley, 
were  brilliantly  terminated  on  the  17th  of  that  month,  under 
Brown. 

It  may  safely  be  left  to  the  future  statesman  and  soldier  to 
decide — and  to  the  impartial  historian  to  record — how  far 
these  triumphs  of  August,  1814,  may  have  contributed  to 
allay  the  panic  produced  by  the  victory  of  the  British  at 
Biadensburg,  the  capture  of  Alexandria  and  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, with  the  destruction  of  the  capitol ;  or  to  what  extent 
they  may  have  tended  to  arrest  the  exultation  wdiich  this  vie- 


GENERAL    E.    V.    GAINES.  107 

tory,  and  these  captures  produced  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy ; 
and  to  estabUsh  throughout  the  Union  the  moral  power,  and 
unshaken  confidence  reposed  in  the  efiiciency  of  our  volunteers. 
They  had  never,  before  the  month  of  August,  1814,  given  such 
indubitable  evidence  of  their  being  in  all  respects  equal  to  the 
best  of  veteran  regulars,  in  an  open  field  fight,  and  in  the  close 
conflict  of  repeated  heavy  charges  of  veteran  infantry  with  the 
bayonet — in  the  deepest  darkness  of  night.  It  is  for  posterity 
to  decide  (w^hen  the  actors  are  all  in  the  grave),  how  far  the 
moral  effect  of  those  sanguinary  struggles,  and  long-continued 
triumphs,  may  or  may  not  have  contributed  to  seal  the  fate  of 
the  enemy,  from  the  29th  of  August  to  the  17th  of  Sep- 
tember, on  the  Niagara  frontier,  at  Baltimore,  at  Plattsburg, 
and  at  New  Orleans,  in  December,  1814,  and  January,  1815. 
The  description  of  troops  here  referred  to  as  so  eminently  dis- 
tinguished at  each  place,  had  long  been  known  to  be  invinci- 
ble in  the  woods  against  Indians  and  their  w^hite  allies,  and 
behind  breast-vjorJcs,  against  the  best  of  British  veterans.  But 
they  had  never,  before  the  month  of  August,  1814,  afforded 
such  incontestable  proofs  of  their  entire  fitness  for  the  close 
conflicts  of  the  open  field,  as  at  that  time  near  Fort  Erie. 

These  triumphs  were  duly  appreciated  by  the  wise,  the 
just,  the  virtuous  Madison,  as  well  as  by  the  supreme  judi- 
ciary of  the  United  States ;  by  the  assembled  wisdom  of  both 
houses  of  Congress,  and  by  the  enlightened  and  patriotic 
public  authorities  of  the  sovereign  states  of  the  Union — who 
promptly,  and  in  most  cases  unanimously,  testified  in  terms  of 
high  approbation,  their  sense  of  the  value  of  the  services 
rendered  by  that  division  of  the  army  during  the  period  here 
referred  to. 

General  Gaines,  in  his  official  report  to  the  war  department, 
gives  the  following  account  of  the  battle  of  the  15th  of  Au- 
gust :  He  says,  "  I  hasten  to  communicate  particulars  of  the 


108  GENERAL    E.    T.    GAINES. 

battle  fought  at  this  place  (Fort  Erie,  Upper  Canada),  on  the 
15th  inst.,  between  the  left  wing  of  the  second  division  of  the 
northern  army,  under  my  command,  and  the  British  forces  in 
the  Peninsula  of  Upper  Canada. 

^' At  half  past  two  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  15th,  the 
right  column  of  the  enemy  approached ;  and  though  enveloped 
in  darkness,  was  distinctly  heard  on  our  left,  and  promptly 
marked  by  our  musketry,  under  Major  Wood,  and  artillery 
under  Captain  Towson.  Being  mounted  at  the  moment,  I 
repaired  to  the  point  of  attack,  where  the  sheet  of  fire  rolling 
from  Towson' s  battery  and  the  musketry  of  the  left  wing  of 
the  21st  infantry,  under  Major  Wood,  enabled  me  to  see  the 
enemy's  column,  of  about  fifteen  hundred  men,  approaching 
on  that  point ;  his  advance  was  not  checked  until  it  approached 
within  ten  feet  of  our  infantry ;  a  line  of  loose  brush,  repre- 
senting an  abattis,  only  intervened;  a  column  of  the  enemy 
attempted  to  pass  round  the  abattis,  through  the  water  where 
it  was  nearly  breast-deep.  Apprehending  that  this  point  would 
be  carried,  I  ordered  a  detachment  of  riflemen  and  infantry  to 
its  support;  but  having  met  with  the  gallant  commander, 
Major  Wood,  was  assured  by  him  that  he  could  defend  his 
position  without  reinforcements.  At  this  moment  the  enemy 
were  repulsed ;  but  instantly  renewed  the  charge,  and  were 
again  repulsed. 

"  My  attention  was  now  called  to  the  right,  where  our  bat- 
teries and  lines  were  soon  lighted  by  a  most  brilliant  fire  of 
cannon  and  musketry.  It  announced  the  approach  of  the 
centre  and  left  columns  of  the  enemy,  under  Colonels  Drum- 
mond  and  Scott.  The  latter  was  received  by  the  veteran  ninth, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Foster  and  Captains  Brough- 
ton  and  Harding's  companies  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania 
volunteers,  and  were  repulsed.  That  of  the  centre,  led  by 
Colonel  Drummond,  was  not  long  kept  in  check ;  it  approach- 


GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES.  109 

ed,  at  once,  every  available  point  of  the  fort,  and,  with  scaling 
ladders,  ascended  the  parapet,  but  was  repulsed  with  dreadful 
carnage.  The  assault  was  twice  repeated,  and  as  often 
checked ;  but  the  enemy,  having  moved  around  in  the  ditch, 
covered  by  darkness,  added  to  the  heavy  cloud  of  smoke 
which  had  rolled  from  our  cannon  and  musketry,  enveloping 
surrounding  objects,  repeated  the  charge,  re-ascended  the  lad- 
ders— their  pikes,  bayonets  and  spears,  fell  upon  our  gallant 
artillerists.  The  gallant  spirits  of  our  favorite  Captain  Wil- 
liams, and  Lieutenants  M'Donough  and  Watmough,  with 
their  brave  men,  w^ere  overcome — the  two  former,  and  several 
of  their  men,  received  deadly  wounds — our  bastion  was  lost. 
Lieutenant  M'Donough,  being  severely  wounded,  demanded 
quarter.  It  was  refused  by  Colonel  Drummond ; — the  Lieuten- 
ant then  seized  a  handspike  and  nobly  defended  himself,  until 
he  was  shot  down  with  a  pistol,  by  the  monster  who  had 
refused  him  quarter,  who  often  was  heard  to  reiterate  the 
order,  '  Give  the  damned  Yankees  no  quarter.^  This  officer, 
whose  bravery,  had  it  been  seasoned  with  virtue,  would  have 
entitled  him  to  the  admiration  of  every  soldier;  this  har- 
dened murderer  soon  met  his  fate :  he  was  shot  through  the 

heart  by  ,  of  the  regiment,  while  repeating  the 

order  to  'give  no  quarter.'  The  battle  now  raged  with  in- 
creased fury  on  the  right ;  but  on  the  left,  the  enemy  was 
repulsed  and  put  to  flight;  thence,  and  from  the  centre,  I 
ordered  reinforcements — they  were  promptly  sent  by  Briga- 
dier-Generals Ripley  and  Porter.  Captain  Fanning,  of  the 
corps  of  artillery,  kept  a  spirited  and  destructive  fire,  with 
his  field-pieces,  on  the  enemy  attempting  to  approach  the  fort. 
At  this  moment,  every  operation  was  arrested  by  the  explosion 
of  some  cartridges,  deposited  in  the  end  of  the  stone  building, 
adjoining  the  contested  bastion — the  explosion  was  tremendous 
— it  was  decisive — the  bastion  was  restored.     At  this  moment, 


110  GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES. 

Captain  Biddle,  with  his  field-piece,  enfiladed  the  exterior 
plain  and  salient  glacis :  although  not  recovered  from  a  severe 
injury  in  the  shoulder  by  one  of  the  enemy's  shells,  promptly 
served  his  field-piece  with  vivacity  and  effect.  Captain  Fan- 
ning's  battery,  likewise,  played  upon  them  at  this  time  with 
great  effect — the  enemy  w^ere,  in  a  few  moments,  entirely 
defeated,  taken,  or  put  to  flight,  leaving  on  the  field  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one  killed,  one  hundred  and  seventy-four 
wounded,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  prisoners — total 
five  hundred  and  eighty-one,  including  fourteen  officers  killed, 
and  seven  wounded  and  prisoners.  Americans,  seventeen 
killed,  fifty-six  wounded,  eleven  missing,  total  eighty-four. 
"I  have  the  honor,  &c." 

It  must  be  remembered  that  General  Gaines  had  collected 
and  arranged  the  requisite  papers  and  memorandums,  such  as 
would  have  enabled  him  t5  make  a  faithful  report  of  every 
material  incident  of  each  day's  operations,  from  the  5th  to  the 
28th  of  August.  But  on  this  last-mentioned  day  he  was 
crippled ;  and  the  British  bomb-shell  that  wounded  him,  de- 
molished his  writing-desk,  with  so  many  of  his  valuable  papers, 
including  most  of  the  reports  and  memorandums  just  now 
referred  to,  that  his  detailed  report  fell  very  short  of  what  was 
intended,  with  the  exception  of  giving  to  his  officers  that 
praise  which  their  courage  and  bravery  deserved;  this  re- 
port, as  before  intimated,  was  very  hastily  and  imperfectly 
thrown  together  amidst  the  cares  and  constant  interruptions 
of  incessant  daily  action  and  nightly  vigilance  and  p'eparation 
for  increased  vigorous  action,  unavoidably  omitting  some  inci- 
dents of  great  interest  to  the  service,  to  corps,  and  to  indi- 
vidual officers  and  soldiers,  gallantly  engaged  in  this  as  well 
as  in  some  of  the  smaller  conflicts. 


GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES.  Ill 

The  official  reports  of  the  then  acting  Adjutant-General 
Jones,  (now  adjutant-general  of  the  army,)  and  Major  Hall, 
then  acting  Inspector-General,  show,  that  in  the  smaller 
actions,  before  referred  to,  from  the  5th  to  the  14th,  the  actual 
loss  of  United  States  regulars  and  volunteers,  was  altogether 
much  greater  than  in  the  battle  of  the  15th,  which,  though 
resulting  in  a  decided  victory,  in  which  the  enemy  acknow- 
ledged his  loss  to  be  greater  than  he  sustained  in  any  one 
battle  during  the  year  1814  in  America,  yet  this  was,  in  truth, 
but  one  of  twenty -three  days'  sharp  conflicts — all  crowned  with 
success ;  although  Gaines'  encampment  near  Fort  Erie,  from 
the  daily  flow  of  blood  which  it  exhibited,  was  compared  by 
the  officers  to  a  slaughter-pen.  And  from  the  15th  to  the  28th 
of  August,  was  still  greater ;  amounting  in  all  to  nearly  four 
hundred — officers  and  soldiers  killed  and  wounded.  The 
enemy  took  from  us  but  one  prisoner,  it  is  believed,  during 
the  month  ;  the  brave  Lieutenant  Fontaine,  who  was  knocked 
down  from  his  battery  in  the  dark. 

For  his  gallant  conduct  in  this  ever  memorable  battle. 
General  Gaines  was  honored  by  the  federal  government  with 
an  unanimous  vote  of  thanks,  and  a  gold  medal  [See  Plate  V), 
whilst  the  three  great  and  patriotic  states  of  New  York,  Vir- 
ginia and  Tennessee,  awarded  to  him  unanimous  resolutions 
of  thanks,  with  a  fine  gold  hilted  sword,  which  he  received 
from  each  of  these  states.  This  gallant  officer  is  now  em- 
ployed in  the  honorable  and  important  service  of  his  country. 
We  are  sensible  that  in  so  brief  a  space  allowed  us  in  this 
memoir,  justice  cannot  be  done  to  such  bravery,  magnanimity 
and  patriotism  as  have  marked  his  character,  through  a  life 
which  has  ever  displayed  a  highly  intelligent  and  unremitted 
zeal  for  the  welfare  of  his  country. 


112  GENERAL    E.    P.    GAINES. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Battle  of  Erie. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Gaines. 

Legend. — Major-General  Edmund  P.  Gaines. 

Reverse. — Victory  standing  on  a  shield,  under  which  are 
a  stand  of  colors  and  a  halbert,.  and  holding  a  palm-branch  in 
her  left  hand,  as  in  the  act  of  placing  a  laurel  crown  on  the  cas- 
cabel  of  a  cannon  marked  R,  which  is  fixed  upright  in  the 
ground,  and  is  surrounded  with  a  scroll  inscribed  "Erie."  On 
one  trunnion  rests  a  stand  of  British  colors,  and  from  the 
other  is  suspended  a  broad  sword.  By  the  side  of  the  cannon 
are  a  howitzer,  helmet,  and  several  balls.  Behind  the  cannon 
is  a  halbert. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  Nov.  3d,  1814. 

Exergue. — Battle  of  Erie,  Aug.  15th,  1814. 


GEN.    JAMES    MILLEK. 


James  Miller,  late  Brigadier-General  in  the  United  States 
army,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Peterborough,  Hillsborough 
county,  New  Hampshire,  April  25th,  1776.  His  grandfather, 
Samuel  Miller,  came  from  the  North  of  Ireland,  about  the 
year  1720,  and  settled  in  Londonderry,  New  Hampshire, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  (whose  maiden  name  was  Mary 
Shearer, )  and  their  eldest  child.  They  had  seven  children ;  five 
sons,  Matthew,  James,  William,  Samuel  and  John ;  and  two 
daughters,  Mary  and  Jane ;  all  of  whom,  except  Matthew,  the 
eldest,  were  born  in  America.  The  four  younger  sons  sub- 
sequently removed  from  Londonderry  to  Peterborough  and 
settled  on  a  tract  of  wild  land,  which,  as  tradition  states,  had 
been  purchased  for  them,  and  paid  for  in  linen  cloth  and 
thread  manufactured  by  their  mother,  a  woman  of  great  energy 
and  industry.  The  purchase  comprised  an  extent  of  four 
hundred  acres,  and  includes  some  of  the  best  land  in  Peter- 
borough. The  eldest  son,  Matthew,  remained  in  Londonderry 
with  his  parents. 

Of  the  four  who  went  to  Peterborough,  James,  the  father 
of  General  Miller,  was  the  twin  brother  of  William,  and  for 
15 


114  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

many  years  they  improved  their  land  in  common  and  divided 
the  produce.  He  married  Catherine  Gragg,  the  first  child 
baptized  in  Peterborough.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Hugh 
Gragg,  wlio  also  came  to  America  from  the  north  of  Ireland, 
and  settled  in  Groton,  Massachusetts,  but  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Peterborough,  when  his  daughter  Catherine  was  a 
child  of  about  eight  or  nine  years  of  age.  James  Miller  and 
his  wife,  Catherine  Gragg,  had  four  sons,  Hugh,  Samuel, 
James  and  Jacob;  and  three  daughters,  Jane,  Mary  and 
Catherine :  of  these,  James,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was 
the  third  son.  His  earlier  years  were  spent  at  home  with  his 
parents.  Although  he  was  of  a  robust  constitution,  and  had 
a  muscular  and  powerful  frame,  he  was  never  a  very  valuable 
assistant  in  the  agricultural  labors  of  the  farm,  if  we  may  be 
allowed  to  judge  from  the  appellation  by  which  he  is  said  to 
have  been  familiarly  designated  in  the  family,  and  perhaps  in 
the  neighborhood,  that  of  ''  lazy  Jem.''''  The  facilities  for 
education  in  that  part  of  the  country  w^ere  at  that  period  very 
limited,  but  they  were  then,  as  now,  free  to  all  so  far  as  the 
town  or  district  schools  were  concerned.  He  attended  one  of 
these,  such  portions  of  the  year  as  it  was  kept  open ;  and  it 
so  happened  that  his  earliest  military  as  well  as  literary  in- 
struction was  received  there.  One  of  the  persons  employed 
for  a  time  as  teacher  of  the  school,  had  been  a  sergeant  in  the 
army  of  the  Revolution,  and  had  still  so  much  of  his  former 
military  taste  remaining,  as  to  render  it  quite  as  much  a  mat- 
ter of  pride  and  gratification  to  him  to  drill  the  boys  (provided 
with  wooden  guns  for  the  purpose)  in  the  manual  and  com- 
pany movements,  at  intervals  between  school  hours  and  on 
holidays,  as  it  was  to  preside  over  their  literary  progress  in 
doors.  'He  was,  withal,  a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  the  event 
now  to  be  related  would  not,  in  all  probability,  have  happened 
during  his  administration.     In  the  time  of  one  of  his  succes- 


GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER.  115 

sors  in  the  school,  the  boys,  incited  perhaps  by  traditionary 
accounts  of  similar  schoolboy  doings  in  the  old  country,  de- 
termined to  gain  a  holiday,  which  had  been  refused  them,  by 
"  barring  out"  the  master  and  holding  adverse  possession  of 
the  school-house  until  their  demand  was  complied  with. 

The  plan  was  carried  into  effect  by  those  who,  from  residing 
at  a  distance  from  the  school-house  usually  remained  at  noon- 
time, (while  the  master  and  another  portion  of  the  scholars 
were  temporarily  absent, )  aided  by  such  as  they  had  persuaded 
to  stay  with  them  and  take  part  in  the  conspiracy.  The  door 
was  accordingly  shut  and  barricaded  by  those  in  the  plot,  but 
a  window,  which  (in  the  scarcity  of  glass  and  window-frame, 
incident  to  a  new  settlement)  was  fitted  only  with  a  wooden  shut- 
ter, could  not  be  closed  against  the  ''executive"  and  "conserva- 
tives," without  at  the  same  time  excluding  daylight;  a  depriva- 
tion to  which  the  young  conspirators  felt  a  distaste  very  similar 
to  that  attributed  by  Homer  to  the  Grecian  Ajax.  It  was,  be- 
sides, highly  desirable  that  an  avenue  for  negotiations  between 
the  parties  should  be  kept  open,  through  which,  at  the  proper 
time,  the  terms  of  an  accommodation  might  be  settled.  The 
defence  of  this  important  and  assailable  point  was  committed  to 
young  Miller,  although  one  of  the  youngest  of  this  juvenile 
band :  and  when  at  the  exhortation  of  the  master,  (who,  after  all, 
was  possibly  at  heart  as  little  averse  to  a  holiday  as  any  of  his 
pupils,)  an  assault  on  the  fortress  was  made  by  the  advocates 
of  "law  and  order,"  so  resolutely  did  he  maintain  his  post, 
that  the  storming  party,  headed  by  an  older  cousin  of  the 
young  defender,  were  effectually  kept  at  bay.  A  parley  was 
now  held,  and  the  demand  for  a  holiday  having  been  acceded 
to  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  coupled  with  a  stipulation  for 
the  entire  immunity  from  punishment  of  all  concerned,  the 
door  was  once  more  opened  and  the  affair  terminated  in  a 


116  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

manner  agreeable,  doubtless,  to  all  concerned,  since  all  shared 
alike  in  the  indulgence  obtained. 

He  continued  to  attend  the  town  schools  during  a  portion  of 
each  season,  until  the  autumn  of  his  eighteenth  year,  when, 
desirous  of  greater  facilities  for  education  than  his  native  town 
afforded,  he  left  home  for  the  purpose  of  attending  the  academy 
at  that  time  established  in  Amherst,  New  Hampshire,  some 
twenty-five  miles  distant  from  Peterborough.  His  outfit  on 
the  occasion  was  neither  very  splendid  nor  extensive ;  con- 
sisting of  a  bundle  of  clothes,  not  at  all  burdensome  to  carry, 
and  the  sum  of  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  in  money. 

The  ''  credit  system"  was,  in  those  days  almost  a  matter  of 
necessity,  and  although  he  had  no  personal  acquaintance  in 
Amherst,  except  w^ith  one  or  tv/o  of  the  students  at  the 
academy,  he  found  no  diflSculty  in  making  an  arrangement  for 
his  board  in  the  family  of  one  of  the  tow^nspeople,  and  his  tuition 
at  the  institution.  He  remained  at  the  academy  for  several 
months,  and  then  left  for  the  purpose  of  recruiting  his  finances 
and  paying  off  arrearages  by  teaching ;  and  having  done  so, 
was  enabled  himself  to  go  to  school  again,  and  then  open  a 
new  account  with  his  boardinor  house  and  learninq^.  Hew^ent 
on  in  this  manner,  alternately  pupil  and  teacher,  receiving 
knowledge  by  instalments,  and  disbursing  it  very  fairly  as  it 
accumulated,  until  after  years  (when,  having  spent  a  short  por- 
tion of  the  time  as  a  student  at  Williams  College,)  he  was 
qualified  to  commence  the  study  of  law,  which  he  pursued  in 
the  office  of  the  late  James  Wilson,  Esquire,  then  of  Peter- 
borough, and  latterly  of  Keene,  New  Hampshire,  a  gentleman 
at  that  time  of  extensive  and  successful  practice  in  the  law. 
Having  completed  the  requisite  term  as  a  law  student,  he  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  the  state  court,  at  the  spring  term  for 
Hillsborough  County,  1803. 

He  removed  to  the  town  of  Greenfield,  adjoining  Peter- 


GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER.  117 

borough,  and  continued  the  practice  of  the  law  there  until, 
in  the  year,  1808,  he  received  from  President  Jefferson  an  ap- 
pointment as  major,  in  the  Fourth  Regiment  of  United  States 
Infantry,  the  highest  appointment  made  from  New  Hampshire 
under  the  act  of  Congress  for  increasing  the  army.  He  was 
in  a  great  measure  indebted,  for  this  appointment,  to  the  favora- 
ble opinion  and  influence  of  the  late  Governor  Pierce  of  New 
Hampshire,  himself  a  distinguished  officer  in  the  revolutionary 
army.  James  Miller  had  previously  held  a  commission  under 
the  state  government,  as  captain  of  artillery.  His  commission 
as  major  of  the  Fourth  Regiment  of  United  States  Infantry, 
bears  date  the  3d  of  March,  1809,  taking  rank  from  8th  of 
July,  1808.  In  June,  he  joined  his  regiment,  then  commanded 
by  Col.  John  P.  Boyd,  at  Fort  Independence,  in  Boston  harbor, 
in  the  spring  of  1809,  where  he  remained  (with  the  exception 
of  a  short  interval,  spent  on  duty  at  Springfield,  Massachu- 
setts, and  on  a  march  from  there  with  a  detachment  of  troops 
to  Newport,  Rhode  Island,)  until  the  spring  of  1811,  when  he 
embarked  with  the  fourth  regiment,  for  Philadelphia — having 
shortly  before  been  commissioned  as  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
fiftieth  regiment.  The  troops  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  on  the 
16th  of  May,  and  on  the  following  day  proceeded  on  their 
march  to  Pittsburgh,  where  they  arrived  on  the  21st  of  June. 
In  consequence  of  hostile  indications  on  the  part  of  the 
Northwestern  Indians,  prompted  by  the  master  spirit  Te- 
cumseh,  government  had  determined  on  a  military  expedition 
into  the  Indian  country,  and  Colonel  Miller  was,  with  his 
regiment,  ordered  to  prepare  with  all  possible  dispatch  to  pro- 
ceed to  Vincennes  and  join  the  forces  under  General  Har- 
rison. The  first  steamboat  ever  launched  on  the  western 
waters  was  then  on  the  stocks  at  Pittsburgh,  and  of  course 
afforded  matter  for  much  observation  and  comment.  On  the 
2d  of  August,  the  troops  embarked  in  keel  boots  for  Vincennes. 


118  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

Thej  reached  Newport,  Kentucky,  the  distance  of  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles,  in  seven  days,  and  there  landed  and 
remained  until  the  30th  of  the  same  month,  when  they  again 
embarked  and  descended  the  river  to  Jefferson ville,  Indiana, 
in  order  to  meet  General  Harrison. 

At  the  request  of  General  Harrison,  Colonel  Boyd,  then  in 
command  of  the  regiment,  left  the  expedition  and  went  with 
General  Harrison  across  the  country  to  Vincennes,  leaving 
Colonel  Miller  in  command  of  the  troops,  with  orders  to  pro- 
ceed by  water. 

They  descended  about  three  hundred  miles  to  the  farther 
Wabash,  and  then  made  their  way  up  that  river  one  hundred 
and  seventy  miles  more  to  Vincennes. 

Tlie  ascending  the  Wabash  was  at  that  time  exceedingly 
toilsome  and  harassing;  the  river  was  very  low,  and  they  had 
eleven  large  boats  from  fifty  to  seventy -five  feet  long  to  pass 
over  the  bars  and  shallows  of  the  river,  which  were  of  very 
frequent  occurrence.  It  sometimes  required  the  united  efforts 
of  an  hundred  men  to  lift  or  drag  a  single  boat  over  a  rocky 
shallow.  On  the  17th  of  September,  the  day  of  the  great 
solar  eclipse,  they  were  engaged  in  passing  the  grand  rapids 
of  the  Wabash. 

To  encourage  and  animate  the  men.  Colonel  Miller  himself 
frequently  went  into  the  water  to  assist  at  the  boats,  as  did 
every  other  officer,  and  for  several  successive  days,  liad  not 
the  opportunity  of  a  change  of  dry  clothes.  It  was  to  this 
exposure  and  fatigue  that  Colonel  Miller  was  probably  in- 
debted for  the  severe  illness  with  which  he  was  subsequently 
attacked. 

The  boats,  with  the  troops,  reached  Vincennes  on  the  19th 
and  there  joined  the  miUtia  under  General  Harrison.  The 
combined  force  immediately  commenced  drilling  for  Indian 
warfare,  and  on  the  27th  of  September,  marched  for  the  Pro- 


GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER.  119 

phet's  town,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Tippecanoe  ground.  On 
the  2d  of  October,  the  army  reached  the  spot,  seventy  miles 
from  Vincennes,  where  they  halted  to  build  Fort  Harrison, 
which  was  subsequently  so  bravely  and  successfall}^  defended 
against  the  Indians  by  Lieutenant,  now  Major-General  Zachary 
Taylor.  The  next  day  after  his  arrival  at  this  place.  Colonel 
Miller  was  seized  with  a  violent  bilious  fever,  which  at  once 
completely  prostrated  him,  from  the  effects  of  which,  and  the 
treatment  and  exposure  which  he  necessarily  had  to  undergo, 
he  has  never  entirely  recovered. 

Until  the  fort  was  built,  he  w^as  sheltered  in  a  tent,  with  a 
bearskin  and  blankets  for  bedding.  The  weather  for  the  first 
few  days  was  very  warm,  and  then  suddenly  changed  to  cold, 
with  snow  and  rain ;  to  hasten  salivation,  the  physicians  ap- 
plied mercury  very  freely  externally,  as  well  as  administering 
it  internally,  with  blisters  on  the  neck  and  limbs. 

He  had  never  been  confined  by  sickness  for  a  single  day  in 
his  life  before.  He  received  the  kindest  attention  from  General 
Harrison,  Colonel  Boyd,  and  other  officers,  particularly  from 
Colonel  Davis,  of  the  Kentucky  dragoons,  who  was  afterwards 
killed  at  Tippecanoe. 

When  the  army  moved  from  Fort  Harrison,  on  the  29th  of 
October,  Colonel  Miller  had  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to 
walk  a  few  steps  with  the  assistance  of  a  cane,  but  was  utterly 
unable  to  accompany  the  troops.  For  fifteen  days  he  had 
been  unable  to  move  from  his  hard  bed  without  being  lifted, 
a  tent  his  only  shelter ;  and  the  weather  suddenly  changed 
from  warm  to  cold,  sufficiently  to  allow"  the  snow  to  remain  on 
the  ground  for  two  days  at  a  time.  His  regret  at  being  com- 
pelled to  remain  behind,  is  thus  expressed  in  a  letter  written 
some  time  after  : — '-I  reflected  that  I  had  sailed,  marched,  and 
rowed  in  boats,  more  than  two  thousand  miles  in  search  of,  and 
with  the  expectation  of  acquiring,  in  common  with  my  brothers 


120  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

in  arms,  some  military  fame :  to  be  brought  to  the  '  right  about' 
and  obliged  to  halt  within  a  few  miles  of  the  scene  of  action 
and  consequent  honor  acquired  by  the  glorious  victory  ob- 
tained— I  thought  my  lot  a  hard  one."  From  the  4th  day  of 
May  to  the  18th  of  November,  he  had  slept  in  a  house  but 
two  nights.  Colonel  Miller  was  left  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  with  the  invalids  of  the  army,  and  although  thus 
debarred  from  participating  in  the  battle  which  ensued,  and 
resulted  in  the  victory  of  Tippecanoe,  he  was  fortunately  able 
to  be  of  essential  service  after  the  battle.  For  when  apprised 
of  the  result,  by  express  from  General  Harrison,  he  dispatched 
boats  up  the  river,  with  hay  in  them  for  the  reception  of  the 
wounded,  and  fresh  provisions  for  the  troops,  to  a  point  where 
the  army  would  be  likely  to  strike  the  river,  on  their  return 
to  Fort  Harrison. 

When  the  army  left  Fort  Harrison,  on  its  return  to  Vin- 
cennes,  in  the  following  November,  although  still  an  invalid. 
Colonel  Miller  requested  to  accompany  them,  and  he  was  sent 
in  command  of  the  troops  and  boats,  by  way  of  the  river :  al- 
though it  was  considered  the  most  easy  way  of  traveling,  he 
suffered  much  from  exposure  on  the  journey.  He  spent  the 
following  winter  at  Vincennes,  and  during  that  time  became 
an  inmate  in  the  house  and  family  of  General  Harrison,  who 
with  the  most  affectionate  kindness  urged  this  hospitality  upon 
him.  In  May,  1812,  he  received  orders  to  proceed  with  the 
fourth  regiment  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  from  thence  marched  to 
Detroit,  having  joined  General  Hull  at  Urbana. 

The  communication  with  the  state  of  Ohio  being  completely 
bloolied  up,  thereby  preventing  the  transportation  of  supplies 
of  provisions  for  General  Hull's  army,  he  saw  it  necessary  to 
turn  his  attention  to  that  point,  and  accordingly  detached  from 
the  army  a  part  of  the  regular  troops,  numbering  about  six 
hundred   men,   under  the   command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 


GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER.  121 

James  Miller,  of  the  fourth  regiment  United  States  infantry, 
for  this  object.  Colonel  Miller  was  permitted  to  take  two  field 
pieces  with  the  detachment,  one  six  pounder  and  one  five  and 
a  half  inch  howitzer,  with  their  appendages  and  ammunition. 

The  detachment  having  drawn  two  days'  provisions,  being 
organized  and  everything  prepared  for  the  march,  General 
Wayne  was  chosen  to  lead  the  spies  to  reconnoitre  tiie  country ; 
these  w^ere  volunteer  citizens  of  Detroit  well  acquainted  witii 
the  route. 

At  five  o'clock  P.  M.,  on  the  8th  of  August,  1812,  the 
troops  being  ready  to  march,  and  drawn  up  in  line  in  the 
main  street  of  Detroit,  Colonel  Miller  rode  to  the  centre  and 
in  front  of  the  line,  and  addressed  the  troops  in  the  following 
words  : — "Soldiers,  we  are  going  to  meet  the  enemy  and  to 
beat  them !  The  blood  of  yoar  brethren,  spilt  by  savage 
hands  on  the  5th,  must  be  avenged  by  their  chastisement,  and 
by  the  chastisement  of  the  enemy  who  employs  them,  more 
savage  than  they  !  I  shall  lead  you — I  trust  that  no  man  will 
disgrace  himself  or  me — every  man  who  is  seen  to  leave  the 
ranks,  to  give  way,  or  fall  back  without  orders,  shall  instantly 
be  put  to  death.  My  brave  soldiers !  you  have  once  faced  the 
enemy  in  a  hard  conflict,  and  beaten  them,  and  gained  glory 
to  yourselves  and  honor  to  your  country !  Let  this  oppor- 
tunity be  improved  to  add  another  victory  to  that  of  Tippe- 
canoe, and  new  glory  to  that  which  you  gained  on  the  Wabash. 
Soldiers,  if  there  are  any  now  in  the  ranks  of  this  detachment, 
who  are  afraid  to  meet  the  enemy,  they  are  now  permitted  to 
fall  out  and  stay  behind."  At  which  the  words,  "  I'll  not 
stay,"  ran  through  the  ranks  with  a  "huzza." 

The  detachment  then  moved  off  in  order  and  high  spirits, 
and  exhibited  so  much  ardor  to  engage  in  the  conflict,  that  the 
anxious  citizens  felt  perfect  confidence  in  the  success  of  the  en- 
terprise. The  detachment  arrived  at  the  river  Rouge,  six  miles 
16 


122  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

from  Detroit,  about  sunset.  There  being  no  bridge  and  the 
water  very  deep,  they  were  conveyed  over  in  scows,  and  as  two 
only  were  within  reach,  it  was  ten  o'clock  before  the  whole  had 
crossed  over.  The  weather  being  somewhat  rainy  and  very 
dark,  it  was  determined  to  encamp  there  for  the  night.  They 
therefore  stationed  their  guards  and  picquets,  and  permitted 
the  men  to  rest  on  their  arms  till  daylight.  Accordingly,  at 
daybreak,  they  commenced  their  march,  with  Colonel  Miller 
at  the  head  of  a  column  of  cavalry,  accompanied  by  his  aids, 
in  the  road  and  in  a  line  with  the  heads  of  the  columns  of 
musketry.  In  this  order  the  detachment  marched  from  the 
encampment,  near  the  river  Rouge,  on  the  morning  of  the  9th. 
They  proceeded  through  the  white  settlement,  which  was 
about  five  miles,  and  entered  the  woods. 

The  country,  from  the  river  Rouge  to  Brownstown,  is  gene- 
rally flat,  and  lies  a  little  above  the  surface  of  the  river  Detroit. 
Indian  huts  and  fields  are  interspersed  through  the  woods;  at 
that  time  the  fields  were  covered  with  corn,  which  was  grown 
to  seven  and  eight  feet  high. 

When  the  advanced  guard  had  arrived  at  the  farther  edge 
of  this  wood,  the  spies  advanced  into  the  Indian  opening ; 
they  were  fired  upon  by  a  party  of  ten  Indians,  who  were  on 
horseback,  and  had  concealed  themselves  behind  the  house  of 
the  celebrated  chief,  Walk-in-the-water. 

The  spies  fell  back.  A  citizen  from  Detroit,  who  accom- 
panied them,  was  killed,  and  fell  from  his  horse.  The  guard 
advanced  quickly  towards  the  house,  and  the  Indians  imme- 
diately fled  without  receiving  much  injury,  though  the  guard 
fired  upon  them  while  they  were  uncovered  by  the  house. 
The  Indians  bore  away  as  a  trophy,  the  citizen's  scalp  whom 
they  had  shot ;  and  the  facility  with  which  the  scalp  was  taken, 
was  astonishing.  There  scarcely  appeared  to  have  been  time 
for  the  Indian  to  reach  the  spot  where  the  man  fell,  before 


GENERAL    JAMES    IMILLER.  123 

the  guard  arrived  and  found  the  scalp  taken  off,  and  the  In- 
dian gone.  When  the  firing  was  heard  by  the  columns,  the 
order  was  given  by  Colonel  Miller  to  march  on  with  haste, 
but  only  some  scattered  Indians  were  discovered,  who  had 
been  sent  out  by  the  British  to  watcii  the  movements  of  the 
Americans,  and  to  give  information  of  their  approach  towards 
Brownstown,  where  the  enemy,  as  it  appeared  afterwards,  then 
lay  in  ambush  to  receive  them.  The  position  which  the  enemy 
had  chosen,  lay  in  an  open  oak  wood,  just  at  the  declivity  of 
a  rising  ground,  over  which  the  Americans  had  to  pass.  He 
had  thrown  up  a  breastwork  of  trees,  logs,  &c.,  behind  which 
he  lay  concealed  in  force,  and  in  order  of  battle.  His  works 
were  thrown  up  in  form  of  a  courtine  with  two  flanks.  The 
line  of  the  courtine  lay  across  the  road  and  perpendicularly 
to  it.  The  banks  formed  an  angle  with  the  courtine  of  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty.  The  courtine  was  lined  with  British 
regular  troops,  two  deep  of  the  forty-first  regiment  of  foot, 
under  the  command  of  Major  Muer  of  that  regiment,  who  had 
long  been  in  command  at  Maiden.  The  flank  of  the  courtine^ 
on  the  enemy's  right,  and  American  left,  was  lined  with 
Canadian  militia  and  Indians,  commanded  by  Walk-in-tlie- 
water  and  Marpot.  Most  of  the  militia  were  dressed  and 
painted  like  their  "brethren  in  arms,"  the  savages.  The  left 
flank  of  the  courtine  was  lined  entirely  by  savages,  under  the 
command  of  the  celebrated  Indian  warrior  Tecumseh,  of  the 
Shawnoese  nation. 

The  number  of  the  British  regulars  and  militia  amounted 
to  about  three  hundred;  about  two  hundred  regulars.  The 
Indians  amounted  to  four  hundred  and  fifty,  making  the 
enemy's  forces  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men.  The  posi- 
tion and  strength  of  the  enemy  were  entirely  unknown  to 
Colonel  Miller  and  to  the  army  at  this  time. 

At  twelve  o'clock  M.  the  detachment  arrived  at  a  large  open- 


124  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

ing  which  contained  four  or  five  Indian  houses,  gardens,  and 
orchards,  and  the  army  halted  to  take  some  refreshment,  and 
to  bury  the  man  who  had  been  killed  ^  there  they  lay  one  hour. 
The  village  w^as  deserted,  and  nothing  of  any  consequence 
left  in  the  houses. 

At  one  P.  M.,  the  troops  resumed  their  march,  and  soon 
reached  the  woods,  near  Brownstown,  where  some  guns  were 
heard  by  them.  In  a  few  seconds  a  volley  was  heard  from 
Captain  Snelling's  advance  guard,  and  another  instantly  re- 
turned from  a  great  number  of  pieces.  The  troops,  by  this 
time,  were  in  preparation  for  battle,  when  Colonel  Miller  rode 
towards  the  centre  at  full  speed,  halted,  and  with  a  firm  voice 
ordered  the  columns  to  "form  the  line  of  battle,"  which  was 
executed  with  that  order,  promptness  and  zeal,  which  he  had 
expected ;  after  the  first  volleys,  the  firing  became  incessant  in 
front.  Captain  Snelling  stood  his  ground  till  the  lines  were 
formed,  and  moved  to  his  relief  He  stood  within  pistol  shot 
of  the  enemy's  breastworks  in  a  shower  of  balls  from  the 
regular  troops  in  his  front,  who  showed  themselves  after  the 
first  fire,  and  set  up  the  Indian  yell. 

When  the  first  line  appeared  before  the  breastwork,  they 
received  the  fire  of  the  whole  front  and  a  part  of  the  flanks. 
At  this  instant,  Colonel  Miller  discovered  that  the  enemy  out- 
flanked him,  when  the  second  line  and  flank  guards  were 
brought  upon  the  flanks  of  the  front  line  of  the  enemy. 

The  savages,  in  unison  with  the  British  troops,  set  up  a 
horrid  yell,  and  a  severe  conflict  ensued. 

The  incessant  firing  of  individual  pieces  soon  changed  to 
volleys,  and  while  silence  prevailed  for  an  instant,  the  discharge 
of  the  six  pounder  burst  upon  the  ear.  At  this  instant.  Colonel 
Miller  was  thrown  from  his  horse  which  took  fright  at  the 
discharge.  He  was  supposed  to  be  shot;  those  near  him  flew 
to  his  aid ;  the  savages  who  saw  him  fall  sprang  over  the  breast- 


GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER.  125 

work  to  take  his  scalp,  but  were  repulsed.  Colonel  Miller  in- 
stantly remounted  and  returned  to  continue  his  orders.  The 
fire  from  the  Indians,  who  were  screened  by  their  breastworks, 
was  deadly. 

Another  discharge  of  grape  from  the  six  pounder,  caused 
the  British  line  to  yield,  then  to  break,  and  the  troops  to  fly  in 
disorder !  Tecumseh,  and  some  Indians  under  his  command, 
who  had  leaped  over  the  breastwork  in  the  full  assurance  of 
victory,  were  driven  back  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  The 
British  and  some  Indians  fled  directly  down  the  river,  and 
were  pursued  by  Colonel  Miller,  and  that  part  of  the  troops 
which  had  opposed  them.  Tecumseh,  with  his  Indians,  fled 
directly  from  the  river  westwardly,  into  the  wilderness,  and 
were  pursued.  After  the  British  had  retreated  about  one  mile, 
they  came  to  an  opening,  of  about  half  a  mile  in  diameter ;  here 
they  attempted  to  rally  again,  but  on  the  approach  of  the 
Americans  they  again  broke  and  fled  into  the  woods  down 
the  river.  Colonel  Miller  immediately  ordered  the  troops  to 
follow  in  further  pursuit  of  the  British. 
'  After  following  them  through  the  woods  for  nearly  half  a 
mile,  they  came  upon  the  beach  of  Lake  Erie,  and  discovered 
the  enemy  all  in  boats,  steering  towards  Maiden,  and  out  of 
reach  of  their  shot.  They  had  concealed  their  boats  at  this 
point,  when  they  came  over,  for  this  purpose,  if  they  should 
be  defeated.  The  troops  returned  to  the  battle  field,  where 
they  met  the  division  which  had  returned  from  the  pursuit  of 
Tecumseh. 

When  the  troops  were  formed  in  line.  Colonel  Miller  rode 
in  front  and  addressed  them  in  the  following  words : — "  My 
brave  fellows  !  you  have  done  well !  every  man  has  done  his 
duty.  I  give  you  my  hearty  thanks  for  your  conduct  on  this 
day ;  you  have  gained  my  highest  esteem  ;  you  have  gained 
fresh  honor  to  yourselves,  and  to  the  American  arms ;  your 


126  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

fellow  soldiers  in  arms  will  love  you,  and  your  country  will 
reward  you.  You  will  return  to  the  field  of  battle,  to  collect 
those  who  have  gloriously  fallen ;  your  friendly  attentions  to 
your  wounded  companions  are  required."  Detachments  were 
sent  out  with  wag-ons  to  search  the  woods,  and  collect  all  the 
wounded  and  dead,  and  bring  them  to  the  ground  then  occupied 
by  the  troops.  All  the  Indian  houses,  only  three  or  four  in 
number,  w^ere  prepared  to  receive  them,  and  the  surgeons  were 
industriously  employed  with  them,  during  the  whole  night. 

The  troops  encamped  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  fronting  the 
woods,  the  river  forming  their  back.  The  time  from  the 
attack  on  the  vanguard  to  the  time  of  forming  the  line  on  the 
Indian  fields,  after  the  pursuit  was  finally  ended,  was  two  and 
a  half  hours.  During  this  sharp  conflict  the  conduct  of  each 
individual  officer  and  soldier  was  so  uniformly  and  strictly 
military,  that  the  commander  was  scarcely  able  to  make  dis- 
tinctions in  his  brief  and  modest  report  to  General  Hull. 
The  physical  powers  of  almost  every  man  were  called  into 
action,  and  severely  tried. 

The  troops  then  returned  to  Detroit,  where  they  were  ap- 
prised of  the  declaration  of  war  between  England  and  the 
United  States. 

Colonel  Miller,  on  hearing  the  above  news,  determined  to 
make  an  attempt  to  land  on  the  Canada  shore,  with  the 
fourth  regiment,  which  he  still  continued  to  command,  ac- 
companied by  Colonel,  now  General  Cass,  with  a  regiment  of. 
militia,  together  with  a  company  of  artillery,  under  Captain 
Dyson ;  the  whole,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Miller,  em- 
barked at  a  point  about  a  mile  above  Detroit,  crossed  the  river 
and  landed  on  the  Canada  side  without  opposition.  Colonels 
Miller  and  Cass  had,  on  this  occasion,  the  honor  of  planting 
with  their  own  hands,  on  the  bank  of  the  Detroit  river,  the 
first  American  flag  carried  into  Canada  in  the  last  war.     After 


GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER.  127 

remaining  but  a  short  time  in  Canada,  they  re-embarked  to 
the  American  side.  Colonel  Miller,  it  appears  by  official  re- 
ports, took  an  active  part  in  nearly  all  the  principal  battles  of 
the  western  frontier.  In  a  dispatch  from  General  Harrison, 
at  Lower  Sandusky,  he  observes,  "the  detachment  led  by 
that  brave  officer.  Colonel  Miller,  did  not  exceed  three  hundred 
and  fifty  men,  and  it  is  very  certain  that  they  defeated  two 
hundred  British  regulars,  one  hundred  and  fifty  militia  men, 
and  four  or  five  hundred  Indians."  Again,  in  a  letter  from 
Major-General  Brown  to  the  secretary  of  war,  after  the  battle 
of  Bridgewater,  he  says,  "to  secure  the  victory,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  carry  this  artillery  and  seize  the  height;  this  duty  was 
assigned  to  Colonel  Miller,  who  advanced  steadily  and  gal- 
lantly to  his  object,  and  carried  the  height  and  the  cannon." 
He  also  observes,  "from  the  preceding  detail,  you  have  evi- 
dence of  the  distinguished  gallantry  of  that  brave  officer." 
In  the  battles  of  Chippewa,  Niagara  and  Erie,  he  is  alike 
distinguished.  After  the  battle  of  Chippewa,  Colonel  Miller 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General.  Congress 
presented  him  with  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate  V.)  with  the 
unanimous  thanks  of  that  body. 

After  the  close  of  the  war.  General  Miller  retired  to  his 
estate  at  Peterborough,  New  Hampshire,  where  he  resided  for 
some  time,  enjoying  the  sweets  of  quietude  and  the  pleasures 
of  agricultural  pursuits ;  sul^equently  he  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  collector  of  the  port  at  Salem,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  is  now  living  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.  Although 
nearly  deprived  of  the  powers  of  articulation  by  paralysis,  he 
enjoys  his  other  faculties  with  comfort  to  himself  and  happi- 
ness to  all  around  him. 

The  kindness  and  affability  of  General  Miller  made  him. a 
favorite  in  the  field,  as  well  as  in  the  domestic  circle.  Before 
his  affliction,  it  was  indeed  difficult  to  be  long  in  his  society 


128  GENERAL    JAMES    MILLER. 

without  feeling  happier  as  well  as  wiser.  He  w^as  blessed  with 
a  great  cheerfulness  of  disposition,  which  diffused  its  charms 
on  all  around  him.  He  lives,  commanding  universal  venera- 
tion and  attachment  from  his  illustrious  services  as  a  soldier, 
and  his  social  virtues  and  generous  hospitality  as  a  man. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Battles  of  Chippewa,  Niagara,  and  Erie. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Miller. 

Legend. — Brigadier-General  James  Miller. 

Exergue. — I'll  try. 

Reverse. — Two  armies  engaged  on  a  hill;  troops  advancing 
at  a  distance. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  November  3d,  1814. 

Exergue. — Battles  of  Chippewa,  July  5th,  1814;  Niagara, 
July  25th,  1814;  Erie,  September  17th,  1814. 


rL'ilr,() 


MAJOR-GEN.    JACOB    BROWN. 


Jacob  Brown,  the  subject  of  the  following  memoir,  was 
born  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  the  year  1775,  of  a 
highly  respectable  family  of  Quakers.  His  father  inherited  a 
valuable  and  flourishing  estate,  but  anxious  still  to  increase  it, 
he  imprudently  embarked  in  some  commercial  transactions 
which  proved  unfortunate,  and  his  whole  property  was  sacri- 
ficed. This  happened  when  our  hero  was  about  sixteen  years 
of  age,  and,  it  is  said,  made  a  great  change  in  his  character 
and  conduct ;  he  was  determined  to  devote  himself  to  some- 
thing that  might  be  a  support  for  himself,  and  enable  him  to 
retrieve  the  broken  fortunes  of  his  family. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  took  charge  of  a  large  and  re- 
spectable school  at  Crosswicks,  New  Jersey ;  at  the  same 
time  endeavoring,  by  close  study,  to  improve  his  own  mind 
for  future  labors.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  was  employed 
in  surveying  and  laying  out  lands,  in  that  section  of  country 
now  the  state  of  Ohio.  He  also  became  agent  for  M.  Le 
Roy  de  Chaumont,  a  distinguished  Frenchman,  who  owned 
a  large  tract  of  that  country,  and  was  industrious  in  obtaining 
17 


130  MAJOR-GENERAL    JACOB    BROWN. 

settlers.  In  1798  he  removed  to  the  city  of  New  York, 
where,  by  the  urgent  soHcitations  of  his  friends,  he  was  in- 
duced again  to  take  charge  of  a  school;  this,  after  a  time, 
became  irksome,  and  he  commenced  the  study  of  law,  but 
soon  abandoned  it  as  uncongenial  with  his  active  and  adven- 
turous pursuits.  Having  acquired  a  small  property  by  his 
exertions  in  Ohio,  he  made  a  purchase  of  some  land  on  the 
borders  of  Lake  Ontario  and  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  now 
Jefferson  county,  in  the  state  of  New  York.  Here  he  built 
the  first  human  dwelling  within  thirty  miles  of  the  lake,  and 
after  effecting  some  necessary  improvements,  he  removed  his 
parents  to  his  new^  abode ;  and  to  the  close  of  his  life  devoted 
himself  to  their  happiness  and  comfort. 

Brown,  through  his  early  life,  had  much  to  contend  with. 
Thrown  upon  his  own  resources  for  subsistence  and  education, 
and  the  poverty  of  his  beloved  parents  on  his  mind,  he  was 
repeatedly  discouraged ;  but  his  energy  never  forsook  him ;  his 
firmness  and  perseverance  seemed  to  overcome  every  obstacle 
that  surrounded  him.  In  1809,  he  was  appointed  a  colonel  of 
militia;  and  in  the  year  following,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  brigadier-general.  At  the  commencement  of  the  war 
in  1812,  he  was  appointed  to  defend  the  frontier  of  Lake 
Ontario  and  the  river  St.  LawTence,  from  Oswego  to  Lake 
St.  Francis,  an  extent  of  coast  reaching  two  hundred  miles. 
He  fixed  his  head-quarters  at  Ogdensburg,  where  he  was 
attacked  by  a  British  force  much  superior  to  his  own  in  num- 
bers ;  but  in  this  affair  no  one  received  the  least  injury,  while 
the  enemy  lost  several  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  In  1813, 
General  Brown  joined  Colonel  Backus,  of  the  dragoons, 
stationed  at  Sacket's  Harbor,  a  demonstration  against  the 
post  having  been  made  by  a  British  force  from  Kingston, 
under  the  command  of  Sir  George  Prevost  and  Sir  James 
Yeo.     General  Brow^n  had  hardly  time  to  arrive  and  dispose 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JACOB    BROWN.  131 

his  brigade,  before  the  enemy  commenced  the  attack,  which 
for  a  time  was  fierce  and  successful ;  but  after  a  series  of  skill- 
ful and  spirited  movements,  the  British  forces  were  completely 
vanquished,  and  retreated  precipitately  in  their  boats.  The 
loss  of  the  enemy  was  four  hundred  and  fifty,  while  that  of 
the  Americans  was  one  hundred  and  fifty-six.  Among  the 
slain  was  the  gallant  Backus,  who  fell  while  exciting  his  men 
by  his  own  bravery.  The  same  year  General  Brown  w^as 
appointed  a  brigadier-general  in  the  regular  army  of  the 
United  States,  and  soon  after  planned  the  expedition  against 
Montreal,  which,  by  a  want  of  concert  between  the  generals 
of  the  northern  army,  was  entirely  frustrated. 

Early  in  1814,  General  Brown  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  northern  division  of  the  army  at  French  Mills,  with  the 
rank  of  major-general.  The  reputation  of  the  military  was 
at  this  time  rather  low ;  many  enterprises  had  proved  abortive, 
and  a  feeling  of  disappointment  was  fast  spreading  through 
the  country,  and  unfavorable  impressions  against  the  military 
capacity  of  the  generals,  were  gaining  ground.  General 
Brown  was  determined,  with  the  aid  of  able  coadjutors,  to 
endeavor  to  retrieve  the  reputation  of  the  army ;  to  these 
arduous  exertions  are  to  be  ascribed  the  brilliant  triumphs 
which  were  subsequently  achieved. 

In  the  Spring  of  1814,  he  crossed  the  Niagara  river  and 
carried  Fort  Erie,  which  surrendered  without  any  resistance. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1814,  was  fought  the  battle  of  Chip- 
pewa, the  first  in  that  series  of  battles  by  which  the  American 
army  so  eminently  distinguished  itself  The  British  com- 
mander made  a  rapid  advance,  supposing  the  American  forces 
not  prepared  for  the  attack  he  was  about  to  make.  In  this  he 
found  himself  mistaken,  for  hardly  had  he  formed  his  line, 
when  the  gallant  Scott  made  an  attack.  The  conflict  was  severe 


132  MAJOR-GENERAL    JACOB    BROWN. 

on  both  sides,  and  for  some  time  seemed  about  even,  when,  on 
the  approach  of  a  second  brigade,  under  General  Ripley,  the 
British  made  a  precipitate  retreat  under  cover  of  their  works 
on  the  Chippewa  creek.  News  having  reached  General 
Brown  that  the  British  were  intending  to  cross  the  Strait  at 
Niagara,  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  the  depot  of  the  Ameri- 
can army,  and  cutting  off  supplies  of  ammunition  and  subsist- 
ence, he  accordingly  advanced  General  Scott,  with  his  brigade, 
to  divert  the  enemy  from  his  purpose,  and  on  the  25th  instant 
General  Scott  came  in  sight  of  the  enemy,  and  shortly  after 
made  an  attack.  General  Brown  was  also  on  the  field  in  a 
few  minutes,  and  immediately  after  General  Ripley  with  his 
brigade.  The  combat  now  became  obstinate  and  bloody  beyond 
all  parallel :  like  the  battle  of  Chippewa  it  was  fought  on  an 
open  field;  but  here,  as  at  Chippewa,  the  American  army 
was  completely  victorious. 

Although  the  enemy  had  chosen  his  own  ground,  on  a  com- 
manding position,  sheltered  by  heights,  superior  in  numbers, 
and  flanked  by  numerous  artillery,  he  was  driven  from  his 
position  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  his  cannon  captured,  and 
completely  routed.  Being  reinforced  by  additional  troops,  the 
enemy  made  three  unsuccessful  attempts  to  regain  his  former 
position,  by  charges  on  the  American  line ;  the  two  last  of 
which  are  described  as  the  most  desperate  in  the  whole  history 
of  the  war,  being  decided  entirely  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 
General  Brown,  although  he  had  received  two  severe  wounds, 
and  was  so  much  exhausted  by  loss  of  blood,  that  at  one  time 
he  was  obliged  to  be  supported  on  his  horse  by  members  of  his 
staff,  evinced  through  the  whole,  coolness  and  intrepidity, 
seemingly  determined  to  maintain  his  position  with  his  last 
drop  of  blood,  till  the  victory  was  complete.  General  Brown 
was  born  to  excel  in  his  military  profession.     A  stranger  to 


MAJOR-GENERAL    JACOB    BROWN.  133 

surprise  or  intimidation,  he  met  every  emergency  with  a  moral 
courage,  his  safeguard  on  the  most  trying  occasions.  When 
dangers  were  greatest,  his  coolness  and  resolution  shone  most 
conspicuous.  His  plans,  which  were  never  rash  or  impru- 
dent, w^ere  distinguished  for  energy  and  vigor. 

History  informs  us,  that  no  enterprise  undertaken  by 
General  Brown  ever  failed,  or  which  he  caused  to  be  exe- 
cuted under  the  direction  of  others.  It  was  not  until  the 
beginning  of  September,  that  General  Brown  was  sufficient- 
ly convalescent  from  his  wounds  to  resume  his  command. 
Our  hero  then  commenced  making  secret  preparations,  and 
on  the  17th  of  September,  made  a  sortie,  drove  the  besiegers 
from  their  entrenchments,  and  either  destroyed  or  rendered 
their  works  wholly  unserviceable ;  the  loss  of  the  enemy  was 
one  thousand,  that  of  the  American  army  five  hundred.  On 
the  21st,  the  enemy  abandoned  his  position,  and  retreated 
beyond  the  Chippewa. 

The  American  army  heretofore  had  been  looked  upon  by  the 
British  as  vacillating  and  dilatory,  and  therefore  such  firmness 
and  vigor,  accompanied  by  such  offensive  movements,  were  en- 
tirely unexpected,  and  may  in  some  measure  account  for  such 
signal  success.  It  had  been  said  that  the  "  British  bayonet 
was  irresistible ;"  but  on  the  Niagara,  the  tide  of  victory  was 
turned  by  that  very  weapon  on  which  lay  their  invincibility. 
At  the  close  of  the  war.  General  Brown  was  retained  in  the 
army,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  Washington ;  but  he  never 
recovered  from  the  severe  wounds  received  at  Fort  Erie.  His 
health  gradually  declining,  he  died  at  his  residence  at  Wash- 
ington, 24th  February,  1828. 

By  a  resolve  of  Congress,  November  3,  1814,  a  gold  medal 
was  struck  and  presented  to  General  Brown,  for  his  brilliant 
achievements  in  the  battles  of  Chippewa,  Niagara  and  Erie. 


134  MAJOR-GENERAL    JACOB    BROWN. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  MEDAL  PRESENTED  TO   GENERAL  BROWN. 

(,See  Plate  VI.) 

Device. — A  bust  of  General  Brown. 

Legend. — Major-General  Jacob  Brown. 

Reverse. — The  Roman  fasces,  as  indicative  of  the  union 
and  strength  of  the  states ;  the  top  encircled  with  a  laurel 
wreath,  from  which  are  suspended  three  tablets,  bearing  the 
inscriptions  Erie,  Niagara,  Chippewa ;  and  encircled  by  three 
stands  of  British  colors,  its  wings  outspread. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  Nov.  3,  1814. 

Exergue. — Battles  of  Chippewa,  July  5th,  1814 ;  Niagara, 
July  25th,  1814;  Erie,  Sept.  17,  1814. 


MAJOE-GEN.    RIPLEY. 


Eleazer  Wheelock  Ripley  was  born  in  Hanover,  in 
New  Hampshire,  in  the  year  1782.  His  father,  the  Reverend 
Sylvanus  Ripley,  was  professor  of  divinity  of  Dartmouth 
College ;  his  maternal  grandfather  was  the  Reverend  Eleazer 
Wheelock,  founder  of  the  institution  of  which  his  father  was 
professor,  and  the  son  a  graduate.  By  the  same  side  he  was 
lineally  descended  from  the  celebrated  Miles  Standish,  the 
Scanderberg  of  his  day,  whose  memory  is  justly  cherished  as 
the  early  protector  of  the  Plymouth  colony.  The  Reverend 
Mr.  Ripley  dying  early  in  life,  left  a  large  family  under  the 
care  of  his  widow,  to  whose  virtuous  and  devoted  attention 
may  be  ascribed  the  future  success  of  her  offspring,  particu- 
larly that  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  then  at  the  tender 
age  of  five  years.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  Eleazer  was  ad- 
mitted to  Dartmouth  college,  from,  which  institution  he  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  in  the  year  1800,  being 
only  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  his  age.  His  course,  while  an 
under  graduate,  had  been  distinguished,  and  at  the  time  of 
graduation  he  received  the  highest  honors  of  the  college. 
After  leaving  college,  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  law  in 
the  towTi  of  Waterville,  Massachusetts. 


136  MAJUR-GENERAL    RIPLEY. 

In  this  memoir  we  can  only  give  slight  traces  of  his  early- 
life,  but  infer  from  the  information  of  historians,  that  he  gave 
early  presages  in  youth  of  what  has  since  been  realized  in 
manhood.  He  was  assiduous  and  successful  in  his  studies, 
and  exemplary  in  his  life  and  conduct ;  and  the  early  emi- 
nence attained  by  Mr.  Ripley  in  his  profession,  tested  the 
assiduity  with  which  he  had  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of 
it.  In  the  year  1807,  he  was  elected  to  the  legislature  of 
Massachusetts,  from  the  town  of  Winslow,  in  that  state.  At 
the  period  when  the  nation  first  felt  the  effect  of  the  offensive 
edicts  of  the  two  great  belligerent  powers  of  Europe,  Mr. 
Ripley's  political  character  strongly  developed  itself.  He  was 
aware  that  the  insults  and  aggressions  of  France  would  lead 
to  a  war,  for  which  just  cause  had  been  given,  provided  the 
equal  avidity  and  greater  means  of  annoyance  of  Great  Bri- 
tain did  not  make  that  country  the  mark  of  an  equally  just 
enmity. 

When,  in  the  year  1808,  their  combined  hostility  became 
more  apparent  and  oppressive,  he  conceived  that  was  the 
moment  for  a  declaration  of  war,  for  which  the  country  would 
never  be  better  prepared,  a  crisis  which  sooner  or  later  must 
come. 

In  1811,  Mr.  Ripley  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  the  speaker 
of  the  house  of  Representatives  of  Massachusetts,  vacated  by 
the  late  Hon.  Joseph  Story ;  over  which  he  presided  with  dis- 
tinguished ability  and  impartiality. 

In  1812,  he  declared  for  the  necessity  of  a  war,  and  was 
induced  to  assume  an  active  duty  in  it,  by  accepting  a  Heu- 
ten ant-colonelcy  in  the  army  of  the  United  States.  On  leaving 
his  civil  and  legislative  duties.  Colonel  Ripley  was  entrusted 
by  the  commander-in-chief  with  the  charge  of  a  sub-district, 
from  Saco  to  the  eastern  frontier,  with  orders  to  place  the 
same  in  the  best  posture  of  defence.     To  this  was  added  the 


MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY.  137 

superintendence  of  the  recruiting  service,  which  in  a  short 
time  embodied  his  recruits  into  a  regiment,  called  the  twenty- 
first,  of  Avhich  he  had  the  sole  command. 

With  this  regiment  he  marched  to  Plattsburgh,  on  the 
northern  frontier,  where  an  army  under  the  command  of  the 
late  General  Pike  was  encamped. 

The  winter  of  1812  he  spent  with  his  regiment  at  Burling- 
ton, Vermont,  where  he  commenced  that  school  of  discipline 
and  police  which  led  his  regiment  to  its  subsequent  fame, 
and  made  it  the  model  of  the  army.  In  March,  1813,  Colonel 
Ripley  left  his  winter  quarters  for  Sacket's  Harbor,  to  join 
General  Pike's  brigade,  and  prepare  for  the  attack  on  York, 
Upper  Canada.  On  the  23d  of  April,  the  troops  embarked 
on  that  enterprise,  and  on  thew  morning  of  the  27th,  arrived 
before  the  town  which  was  the  object  of  it.  The  immediate 
command  of  the  assault  was  entrusted  to  General  Pike.  On 
entering  the  bay  of  York  the  ships  were  severely  cannonaded 
by  the  forts  defending  the  harbor,  while  they  in  turn  covered 
with  their  guns  a  large  portion  of  the  beach,  on  which  it  was 
intended  that  the  troops  should  form.  On  the  debarkation  of 
a  body  of  riflemen  under  Major  Forsyth,  the  enemy  fled  to 
the  woods,  giving  time  for  the  main  body  to  form  on  the  beach, 
and  move  in  close  column  to  the  attack  of  the  principal  fort. 
The  troops  thronged  into  the  works,  when  the  awful  explosion 
of  the  magazine  took  place,  which  annihilated  the  leading 
columns,  and  mortally  wounded  their  gallant  commander 
General  Pike.  During  the  confusion,  the  enemy  called  in  his 
detached  parties,  and  concentrated  his  force  in  the  town. 
Colonel  Ripley,  who  also  had  been  wounded  in  the  explosion, 
soon  collected  his  scattered  army  and  prepared  to  charge  the 
enemy,  who  made  a  precipitate  retreat,  leaving  an  immense 
quantity  of  artillery  and  stores,  some  few  prisoners,  and  the 
town  to  make  its  own  conditions.  A  surrender  wa.s  made, 
18 


138  MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY. 

and  Colonel  Ripley's  regiment  was  stationed  to  guard  the 
property  of  the  citizens  from  depredation.  On  the  30th,  the 
army  re-embarked  for  the  assault  of  Fort  George  ;  but  a  long 
and  severe  storm  detained  and  prevented  its  reaching  its  des- 
tination until  the  27th  of  May,  when  Fort  George  was  as- 
saulted and  taken.  On  the  3d  of  June,  Colonel  Ripley  having 
been  ordered  to  return  to  Sacket's  Harbor  to  organize  the  large 
body  of  recruits  collected  during  the  winter,  reached  that  place 
on  the  11th  instant,  where  he  was  detained  by  severe  indis- 
position, until  the  15th  of  July;  from  that  time  until  October 
the  regiment  was  employed  in  an  incessant  course  of  instruc- 
tion ;  the  drill,  general  discipline,  and  police,  were  carried  to 
their  highest  perfection,  which  produced  the  most  successful 
results.  In  November  followitig.  Colonel  Ripley  and  the  21st 
regiment  played  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  descent  of  the  St. 
Lawrence;  after  which  they  retired  again  to  their  winter 
quarters  at  Sacket's  Harbor.  In  the  spring  of  1814,  the  army 
was  put  in  motion  for  the  Niagara  frontier.  On  the  15th  of 
April,  Colonel  Ripley  was  created  brigadier-general,  and  early 
took  his  leave  of  the  corps  of  his  own  training,  the  21st  regi- 
ment. The  command  of  General  Ripley  was  not  augmented 
by  his  increased  rank.  The  division  of  the  army  under 
General  Brown  consisted  of  two  brigades,  of  which  General 
Scott  commanded  the  first,  General  Ripley  the  second.  From 
the  4th  of  May  until  the  3d  of  July,  the  army  pursued  its 
usual  routine  of  instruction,  when  it  commenced  the  passage 
of  the  Niagara,  and  invaded  the  province  of  Upper  Canada. 
On  the  morning  of  the  5th,  General  Brown  detached  a  portion 
of  General  Porter's  volunteers  to  drive  back  a  body  of  the 
enemy's  light  troops  and  Indians  that  infested  a  wood  on  the 
left  wing  of  the  army.  About  mid-day  Generals  Brown  and 
Ripley  advanced  to  ascertain  the  effect  of  this  attempt,  when 
it  was  observed  that  the  firing,  which  had  been  irregular  and 


jMAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY.  139 

receding,  from  the  circumstance  of  the  enemy's  having  been 
driven  back,  changed  into  a  regular  heavy  platoon  discharge. 
This  discovery  made  it  necessary  for  Generals  Ripley  and 
Scott  to  join  them ;  they  had  scarcely  advanced  when  the 
enemy  appeared  in  line,  and  the  brilliant  action  ensued,  so 
well  known,  and  so  justly  celebrated,  which  caused  the  enemy 
to  retire  in  such  rapid  and  confused  precipitation  across  the 
Chippewa,  that  no  attempt  to  impede  his  flight  could  prove 
effectual.  E  verything  that  could  not  be  moved  in  haste  was 
abandoned,  and  the  enemy  retreating  into  his  entrenchments, 
left  the  American  army  undisturbed  possession  of  the  ground 
in  front  of  them.  From  this  until  tke  24th  the  army  were  in 
frequent  skirmishes  with  the  enemy.  As  the  succeeding  day 
produced  the  most  memorable  battle  during  the  war,  there  are 
circumstances  which  require  a  somewhat  minute  relation,  and 
which  are  given  on  these  pages  from  the  concurring  testimony 
of  the  most  distinguished  officers  present.  During  the  course 
of  the  25th,  a  piquet  stationed  beyond  the  Chippewa,  reported 
the  advance  of  a  small  party  of  the  enemy  on  the  Niagara 
road,  and  that  several  columns  had  been  thrown  across  the 
river  to  Lewistown,  to  proceed  towards  Schlosser,  to  seize  on 
our  wounded  and  baggage.  General  Scott,  in  order  to  draw 
them  back,  made  a  demonstrative  movement  toward  Queens- 
town.  About  two  hours  after  its  departure  a  fire  of  musketry 
was  heard,  on  which  General  Ripley  immediately  formed  his 
brigade,  to  be  in  readiness  for  an  emergency  of  which  he  had 
not  been  apprised ;  scarcely  was  it  ranged,  when  the  increased 
fire  of  musketry,  accompanied  by  heavy  discharges  of  artil- 
lery, announced  the  unexpected  certainty  of  General  Scott's 
being  engaged.  Shortly  afterwards  an  order  arrived  from 
General  Brown,  directing  him  to  advance. 

The  enemy  was  posted  on  an  eminence,  his  artillery  in  the 
centre,  and  from  it,  and  a  long  line  of  infantry,  poured  on  the 


140  I\IAJ0R-GENERAL    RIPLEY. 

first  brigade  an  annihilating  fire  :  that  brigade  had  held  posi- 
tion in  direct  front  of  the  enemy,  less  than  one  hundred  yards 
distance;  the  action  had  contirmed  nearly  two  hours,  daring 
which  an  attempt  to  turn  our  left  had  been  repulsed,  but  no 
advance  had  been  made  on  the  enemy's  line,  which,  from  its 
superior  position,  beyond  the  reach  of  material  annoyance 
from  our  artillery,  kept  up  so  deadly  a  fire  that  the  first  bri- 
gade was  fast  sinkinor  under  the  effect  of  it.  The  25th 
regiment  line  of  brigade,  under  the  command  of  Major,  now 
General  Jessup,  being  throw^n  on  the  enemy's  right  flank, 
captured  General  Riall,  and  performed  other  acts  of  heroism 
reflecting  the  most  unfading  honor  on  its  gallant  commander. 
At  the  same  instant  he  formed  the  21st  regiment  under  the 
command  of  the  brave  Colonel  now^  General  Miller,  to  attack 
the  cannon  in  direct  line  in  front,  and  to  push  both  the  21st 
and  23d  regiments  upon  the  enemy.  The  tw^o  bodies  struck 
the  enemy's  line  at  nearly  the  same  moment,  the  21st  falling 
immediately  upon  the  cannon,  the  23d  on  the  infantry  sup- 
porting it.  At  this  moment  of  confusion  it  is  scarcely  possi- 
ble to  do  justice  to  many  individuals  most  honorably  engaged. 
Colonel  Miller,  to  whom  the  sole  charge  of  the  attack  in  front 
was  entrusted,  evinced  that  unconquerable  gallantry  which  is 
identified  by  but  one  spirit,  and  that  of  the  noblest  sort.  As 
the  enemy  was  now  advancing  under  cover  of  the  d^kness, 
General  Ripley  gave  orders  that  the  fire  should  be  ii-etained 
until  that  of  the  assailants  was  received,  in  order  that  ours 
might  be  made  more  effective  by  being  directed  by  the  light 
of  his.  In  a  few  moments  he  advanced  to  within  a  distance 
of  ten  or  twelve  paces,  and,  from  a  line  far  outflanking  ours, 
poured  in  one  continued  blaze  of  musketry ;  this  was  promptly 
answered  by  our  troops,  and  at  this  short  distance,  a  tremen- 
dous conflict  commenced :  for  the  space  of  twenty  minutes  an 
incessant  gleam  of  light  was  emitted  from  both  lines ;  sections 


MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY.  141 

mutually  recoiled  where  the  severity  of  the  fire  was  most 
excessive ;  those  on  our  side  were  inspirited  and  brouo^ht 
again  to  the  charge  by  the  personal  exertion  of  General  Rip- 
ley, and  such  a  vigor  infused  in  their  resistance,  that  the 
enemy  was  forced  back  in  confusion,  and  fell  to  the  bottom  of 
the  hill.  During  the  short  period  that  intervened  between 
this  charge  and  a  subsequent  repetition  of  it,  the  first  brigade 
was  forming  itself  in  the  rear  of  the  second,  and  at  the  moment 
when  the  two  lines  were  in  their  second  encounter.  General 
Scott  passed  his  corps  through  an  opening  in  the  one  before 
it,  to  throw  himself  upon  the  enemy  then  engaged  in  a  vigor- 
ous discharge  of  musketry.  From  this  point  he  again  ad- 
vanced to  the  attack  of  the  enemy's  right  flank,  but  being 
compelled  to  fall  back,  he  left  his  brigade  on  the  left  and 
pushed  along  the  line  to  the  extreme  right.  The  enemy's 
second  charge  being  repulsed,  General  Ripley  still  retained 
his  position  on  the  eminence.  It  was  now  midnight,  and  the 
enemy  being  reinforced,  advanced  to  his  third  and  most  vigor- 
ous effort.  The  same  deadly  assault  was  made,  which  in 
like  manner  was  frustrated  and  forced  back.  This  was  a 
perfect  skirmish ;  the  enemy  mingled  himself  with  our  ranks ; 
two  of  our  guns  were  spiked,  and  the  utmost  confusion  pre- 
vailed in  every  direction ;  but  by  the  firmness  and  bravery  of 
the  21st  regiment  and  its  gallant  officers,  the  line  was  pre- 
served, and  the  enemy  again,  and  for  the  last  time,  recoiled 
from  it  in  confusion  and  dismay;  leaving  the  line  under 
General  Ripley  master  of  the  field.  The  darkness  was  now 
impenetrable,  and  although  the  field,  on  which  were  strewed 
our  dead  and  wounded,  was  ours,  an  enemy  of  superior  force 
was  on  its  borders,  and  of  the  measures  which  his  late  dis- 
comfiture might  induce  him  to  adopt  we  were  necessarily 
ignorant.  Under  these  circumstances  General  Ripley  con- 
densed the  remnant  of  our  shattered  force  and  marched  toward 


142  MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY. 

Chippewa.  Such  was  the  memorable  battle  of  Niagara; 
although  the  conquest  was  ours,  one-third  of  our  slender  force 
engaged  in  it  were  now  wounded  or  dead.  Some  time  after 
midnight  the  army  arrived  at  its  encampment,  when  General 
Ripley  waited  on  General  Brown,  then  wounded,  in  his  tent. 
General  Brown  requested  that  General  Ripley  should  refresh 
the  troops,  of  which  the  whole  command  now  rested  with  him, 
march  them  in  the  morning  to  the  battle-field,  and  if  the 
enemy  appeared  there  in  force,  to  be  governed  entirely  by 
circumstances. 

At  daybreak  the  army  was  arranged,  and  the  march  com- 
menced, when  they  found  the  enemy  had  been  reinforced 
since  the  battle  of  the  preceding  evening,  and  that  it  would 
be  an  act  of  madness  to  attack  an  enemy  thus  increased,  with 
two-thirds  only  of  the  force  in  the  previous  conflict.  The 
army  consequently  retrograded  across  the  Chippewa,  the  bridge 
of  which  they  destroyed,  and  likewise  everything  that  might 
aid  the  enemy's  advance. 

They  reached  Fort  Erie  on  the  27th  of  July,  and  com- 
menced a  course  of  labors  that  would  now  be  deemed  beyond 
the  reach  of  accomplishment.  The  redoubts,  abattis,  traverses 
and  entrenchments  were  instantly  commenced,  and  the  ability 
of  an  army  in  patience,  vigor  and  hardihood,  was  never  more 
fully  elicited ;  nor  can  any  monument  of  military  exertion  show 
a  greater  amount  of  labor  accomplished  in  a  shorter  period, 
than  can  the  works  of  Fort  Erie  from  the  27th  of  July  until 
the  3d  of  August.  The  impediments  given  to  the  advance  of 
the  enemy  by  General  Ripley,  had  retarded  his  approach  until 
that  day.  By  one  or  two  days  of  previous  advance,  he  might 
have  found  the  American  army  unintrenched  and  exposed ;  he 
now  found  it  in  a  situation  to  defy  him. 

He  arrived  and  planted  his  main  camp  about  two  miles 
distant,  and  in  front  of  it  a  line  of  circumvallation  extending 


MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY.  143 

around  our  fortifications ;  it  consisted  of  two  lines  of  entrench- 
ment supported  by  block-houses;  in  front  of  these,  and  at 
favorable  points,  batteries,  from  which  an  incessant  and  de- 
structive fire  was  poured  on  our  encampment. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  about  midnight.  General  Ripley 
perceived  indications  of  an  attack,  which  he  had  been  for 
some  time  anticipating ;  accordingly,  about  one  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  15th,  the  firing  of  the  piquet  confirmed  Gene- 
ral Ripley's  impressions. 

Lieutenant  Belknap,  who  commanded  the  piquet,  per- 
ceiving the  enemy's  column  approach  through  the  darkness, 
fired  and  retreated  to  the  works.  The  assailants  were  allowed 
to  approach  near  to  the  works,  when  the  fire  from  the  21st 
and  23d  regiments,  and  the  incessant  blaze  of  the  battery, 
drove  them  back  in  confusion,  without  the  enemy  having  made 
the  least  impression. 

The  charge  was  again  renewed  on  the  abattis  between  the 
battery  and  the  lake,  which  was  again  and  in  the  same  man- 
ner frustrated.  A  third  and  last  attempt  was  made  to  pass 
the  point  of  the  abattis,  by  wading  into  the  work  by  the  lake. 
Like  the  other  attempts,  this  also  was  defeated,  and  the  part  of 
the  enemy  which  survived  the  destruction  to  wliich  it  had 
been  exposed,  fell  back  in  confusion  from  the  works.  Through- 
out these  several  and  varied  attacks  from  a  force  so  overwhelm- 
ing, the  second  brigade  evinced  its  accustomed  discipline,  and 
its  officers  the  high  and  gallant  spirit  they  held  in  common 
with  their  leader.  Reinforcements  were  detached  to  different 
points,  changes  of  position  made,  new  shapes  of  the  enemy's 
attack  on  the  right,  a  part  deemed  the  least  vulnerable,  were 
found  more  effectual.  He  had  succeeded  in  making  a  lodgfe- 
ment  in  the  bastion,  which  was  left  to  the  defence  of  artillery 
only,  unsupported  by  infantry,  as  had  been  the  previous  cus- 
tom.    From  this,  however,  he  was  soon  dislodged,  and  after 


144  MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY. 

a  dreadful  repulse,  all  became  as  tranquil  on  the  right  as  it 
had  previously  become  on  the  left.  When  morning  appeared, 
the  flower  of  the  British  army  lay  dead  or  wounded  before  the 
American  works.  The  commanders  of  the  three  assailing 
columns  shared  the  same  fate,  and  of  the  force  which  the  last 
night  thronged  toward  the  fortification,  the  miserable  remains 
of  the  greater  part  never  returned  from  it. 

The  only  prisoners  taken  during  the  night,  were  made  by 
a  sally  ordered  by  General  Ripley.  His  position  was  deemed 
the  least  of  any  part  of  the  force  engaged,  while  he  inflicted 
on  the  enemy  the  greatest.  The  enemy  now  commenced  with 
batteries  in  every  direction.  Hot  shot,  shells  and  other  destruc- 
tive implements  were  showered  in  vast  profusion ;  every  house, 
tent  and  hut  were  perforated,  and  many  of  our  best  soldiers 
destroyed.  This  warfare  was  kept  up  at  intervals,  by  daily 
skirmishes,  until  the  17th  of  September,  the  day  allotted  for 
the  sortie  which  terminated  the  siege ;  when  the  besiegers 
yielded  to  the  besieged,  and  a  force  regular  and  irregular,  of 
two  thousand  men,  drove  the  enemy  from  his  entrenchments, 
beat  and  scattered  a  regular  enemy  of  four  thousand  men. 

Extract  of  an  official  letter  to  the  secretary  of  war,  after  the 
sortie  of  Fort  Erie  : — "  On  the  morning  of  the  17th,  General 
Miller  was  directed  to  station  his  command  in  the  ravine, 
which  lies  between  Fort  Erie  and  the  enemy's  batteries,  by 
passing  them  by  detachments  through  the  skirts  of  the  wood ; 
and  the  21st  infantry,  under  General  Ripley,  was  posted  as  a 
corps  of  reserve,  between  the  new  bastions  of  Fort  Erie,  all 
under  cover  and  out  of  the  view  of  the  enemy.  About  twenty 
minutes  before  three,  P.  M.,  the  left  columns,  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  Porter,  which  were  destined  to  turn  the 
enemy's  right,  were  within  a  few  rods  of  the  British  entrench- 
ments. They  were  ordered  to  advance  and  commence  the 
action.     Passing  down  the  ravine,  it  was  judged  from  the 


MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY.  145 

report  of  musketry,  that  the  action  had  commenced  on  our 
left ;  orders  were  given  to  General  Miller  to  seize  the  moment 
and  pierce  the  enemy's  entrenchment,  between  batteries  No. 
2  and  3,  which  orders  were  promptly  and  ably  executed. 
Within  thirty  minutes  after  the  first  gun  was  fired,  batteries 
No.  2  and  3,  the  enemy's  line  of  entrenchments,  and  his  two 
block-houses  were  in  our  possession.  Soon  after,  battery  No. 
1  was  abandoned  by  the  British.  The  guns  in  each  were 
spiked  by  us,  or  otherwise  destroyed,  and  the  magazine  of 
No.  3  was  blown  up.  A  few  minutes  before  the  explosion, 
the  reserve,  under  General  Ripley,  was  ordered  up ;  as  he 
passed,  at  the  head  of  his  column,  he  was  desired  he  would 
have  a  care  that  not  more  of  the  troops  were  hazarded  than 
the  occasion  of  the  sortie  required.  General  Ripley  passed 
rapidly  on. 

"  Soon  after  fears  were  entertained  for  the  safety  of  General 
Miller,  and  an  order  sent  for  the  21st  to  hasten  to  his  support, 
towards  battery  No.  1.     Colonel  Upham  received  the  order 
and  advanced  to  the  aid  of  General  Miller.     General  Ripley 
had  inclined  to  the  left,  and  while  making  some  necessary 
inquiries  was  unfortunately  wounded  in  the  neck,  severely, 
but  not  dangerously.     By  this  time  the  object  of  the  sortie 
was  accomplished  beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of 
the  commander  and  his  generals.     General  Miller  had  con- 
sequently ordered  the  troops  on  the  right  to  fall  back.     Ob- 
serving this  movement,  the  staff  of  General  Brown  was  di- 
rected along  the  line,  to  call  in  the  other  corps.     Within  a 
few  minutes  they  retired  from  the  ravine,  and  from  thence  to 
camp.     Thus  one  thousand  regulars,  and  an  equal  portion  of 
militia,  in  one  hour  of  close  action,  blasted  the  hopes  of  the 
enemy,  destroyed  the  fruits  of  fifty  days'  labor,  and  diminished 
his  effective  force  at  least  one  thousand  men." 

After  the  battle.  General  Ripley  was  removed  to  the  Ame- 
19 


146  MAJOR-GENERAL    RIPLEY. 

rican  side  of  the  river,  and  throughout  a  course  of  severe 
suffering  for  three  months  his  life  was  despaired  of.  At  the 
commencement  of  his  convalescence  he  was  removed  by  short 
journeys  to  Albany,  w^here  the  best  medical  aid  was  procured, 
yet  it  was  nearly  a  year  before  he  was  sufficiently  recovered 
to  attend  to  any  military  duties.  The  speedy  return  of  peace 
caused  a  reduction  in  the  army,  but  General  Ripley  was  re- 
tained with  the  brevet  and  command  of  major-general.  Con- 
gress testified  their  approbation  of  his  gallant  services  by  a 
vote  of  thanks,  and  the  presentation  of  a  gold  medal,  [See 
Plate  VI ; )  and  the  states  of  New  York,  Massachusetts,  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  and  the  country  at  large,  have  by 
honorary  tokens  and  expressions,  testified  their  grateful  ac- 
knowledgments for  his  gallantry. 

On  the  return  of  General  Ripley's  health,  he  removed  to 
his  estate  at  Baton  Rouge,  near  New  Orleans,  from  whence 
he  was  elected  to  Congress.  He  died  in  1834,  in  the  fifty- 
second  year  of  his  age,  respected  by  a  numerous  circle  of 
friends,  who  admired  his  bravery  as  a  soldier,  and  his  virtues 
as  a  man. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Battles  of  Chippewa,  Niagara  and  Erie. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Ripley. 

Legend. — Brigadier-General  Eleazer  W.  Ripley. 

Reverse. — Victory  holding  up  a  tablet  among  the  branches 
of  a  palm  tree,  inscribed  with  "Niagara,  Chippewa,  Erie." 
In  her  right  hand,  which  gracefully  hangs  by  her  side,  are  a 
trumpet  and  laurel  wreath. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  Nov.  3,  1814. 

Exergue. — Battles  of  Chippewa,  July  5th,  1814;  Niagara, 
July  28th,  1814;  Erie,  Sept.  17th,  1814. 


GEN.    PETER    B.    PORTER. 


Peter  B.  Porter  was  born  of  very  respectable  parents, 
in  Salisbury,  Connecticut,  August  14th,  1773.  His  father 
intending  him  for  the  profession  of  the  law,  entered  him  at 
Yale  College,  in  his  own  state,  where  he  graduated  with  high 
honors  to  himself  and  great  satisfaction  to  his  preceptors. 

Having  completed  his  law  studies,  he  established  himself  in 
his  native  town,  from  whence  he  was  elected  to  Congress, 
where  he  remained  as  chairman  of  the  "  Committee  of  Foreign 
Relations"  till  1811.  At  that  period  this  country  was  pre- 
paring for  a  war  with  England,  with  which  she  had  long  been 
threatened,  and  every  buoyant  spirit  seemed  anxious  to  take 
up  arms  in  his  country's  cause ;  and  no  part  of  the  commu- 
nity engaged  in  it  with  greater  ardor  than  the  members  of  the 
bar. 

During  the  same  year  he  was  appointed  with  Governor 
Morris,  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  De  Witt  Clinton,  William 
North,  Simeon  De  Witt,  Thomas  Eddy,  Robert  R.  Livings- 
ton and  Robert  Fulton,  the  first  commissioners  in  relation  to 
inland  navigation,  being  the  incipient  step  that  led,  in  the 
sequel,  to  the  noble  works  of  art  and  improvement,  which  con- 


148  GENERAL    PETER    B.    PORTER. 

tributed  so  largely  (whatever  excesses  may  have  been  com- 
mitted) to  the  glory  and  prosperity  of  the  state  of  New  York. 
These  labors  w^ere  suspended,  however,  by  the  war  of  1812, 
and  for  these  civic  duties,  General  Porter  exchanged  the  pri- 
vations and  dangers  of  the  frontier  campaigns.  Residing 
then  at  Black  Rock,  he  w^as  in  the  midst  of  the  most  event- 
ful and  stirring  of  the  border  scenes.  He  rallied  the  hastily 
gathered  volunteers,  who  repelled  the  first  invasion  of  that 
place  in  midsummer,  1813;  and  shared,  at  the  head  of  his 
corps,  with  intrepidity  and  skill,  in  those  brilliant  and  memo- 
rable battles  of  the  succeeding  year. 

In  the  official  papers  of  General  Brow^n  to  the  secretary  of 
war,  after  the  battle  of  Chippewa,  he  speaks  of  General  Por- 
ter as  follows: — "General  Scott  having  selected  this  plain 
with  the  eye  of  a  soldier,  his  right  resting  on  the  river,  and  a 
ravine  in  front,  was  joined  early  in  the  morning  of  the  5th  by 
General  Porter,  with  a  part  of  the  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania volunteers,  and  some  of  the  warriors  of  the  Six  Nations. 
At  4  o'clock,  P.  M.,  General  Porter  advanced  from  the  rear  of 
our  camp  with  the  volunteers  and  Indians,  (taking  the  woods, 
in  order  to  keep  out  of  view  of  the  enemy,)  with  a  hope  of 
bringing  his  pickets  and  scouting  parties  between  his  (Por- 
ter's) line  of  march  and  our  camp.  As  Porter  moved,  the 
parties  advanced  in  front  of  our  camp,  fell  back  gradually 
under  the  enemy's  fire,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  draw  him  up  to 
our  line.  Before  5  o'clock,  the  advance  of  General  Porter's 
command  met  the  light  parties  of  the  enemy  in  the  woods, 
upon  our  extreme  left — the  enemy  were  driven  ;  and  Porter, 
advancing  near  to  Chippewa,  met  their  whole  column  in  order 
of  battle."  He  also  observes: — "The  conduct  of  General 
Porter  has  been  conspicuously  gallant;  every  assistance  in 
his  power  to  afford,  with  the  description  of  force  under  his 
command,  has  been  rendered." 

In  the  official  details  of  the  battle  of  Bridge  water.  General 


GENERAL  PETER  B.  PORTER.  149 

Brown  also  says : — "  It  was  with  great  pleasure  I  saw  the 
good  order  and  intrepidity  of  General  Porter's  volunteers, 
from  the  moment  of  their  arrival ;  but,  during  the  last  charge 
of  the  enemy,  those  qualities  were  conspicuous.  Stimulated 
by  their  gallant  leader,  they  precipitated  themselves  upon  the 
enemy's  line,  and  made  all  the  prisoners  which  were  taken  at 
this  point  of  the  action." 

In  General  Gaines'  detailed  report  of  the  battle  of  Fort  Erie, 
the  August  following,  he  says  : — "  General  Porter's  brigade, 
of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  volunteers,  with  our  distin- 
guished riflemen,  occupied  the  centre."  After  describing  the 
action.  General  Gaines  observes  : — Brigadier-General  Porter, 
commanding  the  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  volunteers, 
manifested  a  degree  of  vigilance  and  judgment  in  his  prepara- 
tory arrangements,  as  well  as  military  skill  and  courage  in 
action,  which  proves  him  to  be  worthy  the  confidence  of  his 
country,  and  the  brave  volunteers  who  fought  under  him." 
During  the  next  session  Congress  passed  the  following  resolu- 
tion : — "  Resolved,  that  the  President  of  the  United  States  be 
requested  to  cause  a  gold  medal  {See  Plate  VI)  to  be  struck, 
with  suitable  emblems  and  devices,  and  presented  to  Major- 
General  Porter,  in  testimony  of  the  high  sense  entertained  by 
Congress  for  his  gallantry  and  good  conduct  in  the  several 
conflicts  of  Chippewa,  Niagara  and  Erie."  In  1816,  he  was 
appointed  Secretary  of  State,  in  place  of  Jacob  Rutsen  Van 
Rensselaer,  but  he  declined  the  appointment,  having  been 
elected  to  Congress  the  previous  year.  Near  the  close  of  his 
congressional  term,  he  was  appointed  Commissioner,  under 
the  British  treaty,  to  run  the  boundary  line  between  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  In  1817,  he  was  the  antagonist  candidate 
to  De  Witt  Clinton,  in  the  democratic  canvass  held  for  the 
nomination  of  Governor,  and  at  the  election  received  a  few 
votes,  cast  by  politicians  in  the  city  of  New  York,  who  refused 
to  acquiesce  in  the  nomination  of  Clinton.    In  the  political  con- 


150  GENERAL    PETER    B.    PORTER. 

troversies  of  his  time  General  Porter  was  a  prominent  par- 
ticipator, until  his  retirement  from  public  life  with  Mr.  Adams 
in  1829.  Under  that  administration,  and  for  the  last  year  of 
it,  he  discharged  the  duties  of  Secretary  of  War.  He  was 
warmly  attached  to  Mr.  Clay,  and  was  related  to  him  by  the 
marriage  of  his  second  wife.  A  frontier  resident  during  the 
last  forty  years ;  possessed  of  large  estates  on  the  border — he 
is  identified  with  the  history  of  western  New  York,  and  with 
its  gigantic  progress  in  the  great  elements  of  social  and  phy- 
sical developments. 

General  Porter  has  been  distinguished  in  our  annals  in  civic 
and  martial  life,  and  there  are  few  among  us  to  whom  the 
meed  of  talents,  bravery  and  patriotism  can  be  more  faithfully 
awarded.  His  private  life  was  estimable,  as  his  public  career 
was  brilliant.  In  his  domestic  relations  he  was  ingenuous, 
affectionate  and  kind.  In  his  intercourse  with  mankind  his 
deportment  drew  around  him  a  numerous  circle  of  friends. 
The  active  and  useful  life  of  this  distinguished  servant  of  his 
country  was  closed  at  his  residence  at  Niagara,  March  20th, 
1844,  in  the  seventy-first  year  of  his  age. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Battles  of  Chippewa,  Niagara  and  Erie. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  P.  B.  Porter. 

Legend. — Major-General  P.  B.  Porter. 

Reverse. — Victory  standing  holding  a  palm  branch  and 
wreath  in  her  right  hand ;  and  three  stands  of  colors,  bearing 
the  inscriptions,  "  Niagara,  Erie,  Chippewa,''^  in  her  left.  The 
Muse  of  History  is  recording  the  above  names. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  Nov.  3d,  1814. 

Exergue. — Battles  of  Chippewa,  July  5th,  1814;  Niagara, 
July  25th,  1814 ;  Erie,  Sept.  17th,  1814. 


1 'Late,  7. 


% 


ALEXANDER    MACOMB. 


Major-General  Alexander  Macomb,  the  son  of  a  respect- 
able fur  merchant,  was  born  at  Detroit,  April  3d,  1782.  His 
father  removed  to  New  York  when  he  was  an  infant,  and  at 
the  age  of  eight  years  placed  him  at  school  at  Newark,  New 
Jersey,  under  the  charge  of  Dr.  Ogden,  a  gentleman  of  dis- 
tinguished talents  and  high  literary  attainments.  In  1798,  a 
time  of  great  excitement,  as  invasion  by  a  French  army  was 
soon  expected,  Macomb,  although  quite  a  youth,  was  elected 
into  a  corps  called  the  ''  New  York  Rangers;"  Congress  having 
passed  a  law  receiving  volunteers  for  the  defence  of  the  coun- 
try. In  1799,  Macomb  obtained  a  cornetcy,  and  General 
North,  then  adjutant-general  of  the  northern  army,  who  had 
watched  for  some  time  the  soldier-like  conduct  of  our  hero, 
received  him  into  his  staff  as  deputy  adjutant-general.  Ma- 
comb, from  his  intelligence  and  attention  to  his  profession, 
soon  became  the  favorite  of  the  accomplished  North,  and  the 
pet  of  his  senior  officers.  He  was  ambitious  of  distinction, 
without  ostentation,  and  persevering  even  to  fatigue. 

The  thick  and  dark  clouds  which  hung  over  the  country 


152  ALEXANDER    MACOMB. 

had  passed  away,  the  prospect  of  war  had  now  vanished,  the 
troops  were  generally  disbanded  and  many  of  the  officers 
retired  to  their  homes,  but  our  young  officer  begged  to  be 
retained,  and  was  accordingly  commissioned  as  a  second  lieu- 
tenant of  dragoons,  and  dispatched  to  Philadelphia  on  the 
recruiting  service ;  but  this  service  being  more  form  than 
necessity,  gave  Lieutenant  Macomb  an  opportunity  to  asso- 
ciate with  the  best  informed  men,  and  access  to  the  extensive 
libraries  in  that  city,  advantages  which  he  was  anxious  to 
improve.  When  he  had  raised  the  number  of  recruits  re- 
quired, he  was  ordered  to  join  General  Wilkinson  on  the 
western  frontiers,  to  visit  the  Cherokee  country,  to  aid  in 
making  a  treaty  with  that  nation,  a  mission  which  lasted  a 
year.  The  corps  to  which  Macomb  belonged  was  soon  after 
disbanded,  and  a  corps  of  engineers  formed,  to  which  he  was 
afterwards  attached  as  iirst-lieutenant,  and  sent  to  West  Point. 
During  his  residence  at  West  Point,  Lieutenant  Macomb 
compiled  a  treatise  upon  martial  law,  and  the  practice  of 
courts-martial,  now  the  standard  work  upon  courts-martial,  for 
the  army  of  the  United  States.  In  1805,  Macomb  was  sent 
to  superintend  the  fortifications,  which,  by  an  act  of  Con- 
gress, were  ordered  to  be  commenced  on  the  frontiers,  and 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain  in  the  engineer  corps.  In 
1808,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major,  still  acting  as 
superintendent  of  fortifications.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  in  1812,  he  solicited  a  command  in  an  artillery  corps,  then 
about  to  be  raised,  which  was  granted  him,  and  a  commission 
as  colonel  of  the  third  regiment,  dated  July  6th,  1812.  The 
regiment  was  to  consist  of  twenty  companies  of  one  hundred 
and  eighteen  each.  He  assisted  in  raising  the  numbers  re- 
quired, and  in  November  of  that  year  he  marched  to  Sack- 
et's  Harbor  with  his  troops,  where  he  spent  the  winter,  having 
command  of  the  whole  of  the  lake  frontier.     In  January,  1814, 


ALEXANDER    MACOMB.  153 

he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  ap- 
pointed to  a  command  on  the  east  side  of  Lake  Champlain ; 
from  which  time  to  the  climax  of  his  fame  at  the  defence  of 
Plattsburgh,  he  was  constantly  on  the  alert,  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties.  During  the  summer  of  1814,  Sir  George  Pre- 
vost,  governor-general  of  Canada,  had  greatly  augmented  his 
forces,  by  detachments  of  picked  men  from  the  army  which 
had  fought  in  Spain  and  Portugal,  under  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington, and  which,  of  course,  from  their  long  and  tried  mili- 
tary service,  were  among  the  best  troops  in  tlie  world ;  with 
these  it  was  intended  to  strike  a  decisive  blow  on  our  frontier, 
and  bring  us  to  terms  at  once.  In  this,  however.  Sir  George 
was  mistaken,  as  the  following  extract  from  Brigadier-General 
Macomb  to  the  Secretary  of  War  wdll  prove,  dated  Platts- 
burgh, September  15,  1814 : — 

**The  governor-general  of  the  Canadas,  Sir  George  Pre- 
vost,  having  collected  all  the  disposable  force  of  Lower  Canada, 
with  a  view  of  conquering  the  country  as  far  as  Ticonderoga, 
entered  the  territory  of  the  United  States  on  the  1st  of  the 
month,  and  occupied  the  village  of  Champlain — there  avowed 
his  intentions,  and  issued  orders  and  proclamations,  tending 
to  dissuade  the  people  from  their  allegiance,  and  inviting  them 
to  furnish  his  army  with  provisions.  He  immediately  began 
to  impress  the  wagons  and  teams  in  the  vicinity,  and  loaded 
them  with  his  baggage  and  stores,  indicating  preparations  for 
an  attack  on  this  place.  My  fine  brigade  was  broken  up  to 
form  a  division  ordered  to  the  westward,  which  consequently 
left  me  in  the  command  of  a  garrison  of  convalescents  and 
the  recruits  of  the  new  regiments — all  in  the  greatest  confu- 
sion, as  well  as  the  ordnance  and  stores,  and  the  works  in  no 
state  of  defence. 

"  To  create  an  emulation  and  zeal  among  the  officers  and 
men,  in  completing  the  works,  I  divided  them  into  detach- 
20 


154  ALEXANDER    MACOMB. 

ments,  and  placed  them  near  the  several  forts — declaring,  in 
orders,  that  each  detachment  was  the  garrison  of  its  own 
work,  and  bound  to  defend  it  to  the  last  extremity.  The 
enemy  advanced  cautiously,  and  by  short  marches,  and  our 
soldiers  worked  day  and  night ;  so  that,  by  the  time  he  made 
his  appearance  before  the  place,  we  were  prepared  to  receive 
him.  Finding,  on  examining  the  returns  of  the  garrison, 
that  our  force  did  not  exceed  fifteen  hundred  men  for  duty, 
and  well-informed  that  the  enemy  had  as  many  thousand,  I 
called  on  General  Mooers,  of  the  New  York  militia,  and 
arranged  with  him  plans  for  bringing  forth  the  militia  en 
masse. 

"  The  inhabitants  of  the  village  fled  with  their  families  and 
efl"ects,   except  a  few  worthy  citizens  and  some  boys,  who 
formed  themselves  into  a  party,  received  rifles,  and  were  ex- 
ceedino-ly  useful.     General  Mooers  arrived  with  seven  hun- 
dred militia  and  advanced  seven  miles  on  the  Beekmantown 
road,  to  watch  the  motions  of  the  enemy,  and  to  skirmish  with 
him  as  he  advanced — also  to  obstruct  the  roads  with  fallen 
trees,  and  to  break  up  the  bridges.     On  the  lake  road,   at 
Dead-Creek  Bridge,  I  posted  two  hundred  men,  under  Cap- 
tain Sproul,  of  the  13th  regiment,  with  orders  to  abattis  the 
woods,  to  place  obstructions  in  the  road,  and  to  fortify  him- 
self; to  this  party  I  added  two  field-pieces.     In  advance  of 
that  position  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  Appling,  with  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  riflemen,  watching  the  movements  of  the  enemy 
and  procuring   intelligence.     It  was  ascertained  that  before 
daylight,  on  the  6th,  the  enemy  would  advance  in  two  columns, 
on  the  two  roads  before  mentioned,  dividing  at  Sampson's,  a 
little  below  Chazy  village.     The  column  on  the  Beekmantown 
road  proceeded  most  rapidly ;   the  militia  skirmished  with 
their  advanced  parties,  and,  except  a  few  brave  men,  fell  back 
most  precipitately  in  the  greatest  disorder,  notwithstanding 


ALEXANDER    MACOMB.  155 

the  British  troops  did  not  design  to  lire  on  them,  except  by 
their  flankers  and  advanced  patroles. 

"■  Finding  the  enemy's  columns  had  penetrated  within  a 
mile  of  Plattsburgh,  I  dispatched  my  aid-de-camp,  Lieutenant 
Root,  to  bring  off  the  detachment  at  Dead-Creek,  and  to 
inform  Lieutenant-Colonel  Appling  that  I  wished  him  to  fall 
on  the  enemy's  right  flank ;  the  Colonel  fortunately  arrived 
just  in  time  to  save  his  retreat,  and  to  fall  in  with  the  head  of 
a  column  debouching  from  the  woods ;  here  he  poured  in  a 
destructive  fire  from  his  riflemen  at  rest,  and  continued  to 
annoy  the  column  until  he  formed  a  junction  with  Major 
Wool.  The  field-pieces  did  considerable  execution  among 
the  enemy's  columns.  So  undaunted,  however,  was  the 
enemy,  that  he  never  deployed  in  his  whole  march,  always 
pressing  on  in  a  column.  Finding  that  every  road  around 
us  was  full  of  troops,  crowding  in  on  all  sides,  I  ordered  the 
field-pieces  to  retire  across  the  bridge  and  form  a  battery  for 
its  protection,  and  to  cover  the  retreat  of  the  infantry,  which 
was  accordingly  done,  and  the  parties  of  Appling  and  Wool, 
as  well  as  that  of  Sproul,  retired  alternately,  keeping  up  a 
brisk  fire  until  they  got  under  cover  of  the  works.  The 
enemy's  light  troops  occupied  the  houses  near  the  bridge,  and 
kept  up  a  constant  firing  from  the  windows  and  balconies, 
and  annoyed  us  much.  I  ordered  them  to  be  driven  out  with 
hot  shot,  which  soon  fired  the  houses  and  obliged  these  sharp- 
shooters to  retire.  The  whole  day,  until  it  was  too  late  to 
see,  the  enemy's  light  troops  endeavored  to  drive  our  guards 
from  the  bridge,  but  they  suff'ered  dearly  for  their  perseve- 
rance. 

"  Our  troops  being  now  all  on  the  south  side  of  the  Sara- 
nac,  I  directed  the  planks  to  be  taken  off"  the  bridges,  and 
piled  up  in  form  of  breast-works,  to  cover  our  parties  intended 
for  disputing  the  passage,  which  afterwards  enabled  us  to  hold 


156  ALEXANDER    MACOMB. 

the  bridges  against  very  superior  numbers.  From  the  7th  to 
the  11th,  the  enemy  was  employed  in  getting  his  battering 
train  and  erecting  his  batteries  and  approaches,  and  constantly 
skirmishing  at  the  bridges  and  fords.  By  this  time  the  militia 
of  New  York  and  volunteers  from  Vermont  were  pouring  in 
from  all  quarters.  I  advised  General  Mooers  to  keep  his  force 
along  the  Saranac,  to  prevent  the  enemy  crossing  the  river, 
and  to  send  a  strong  body  in  his  rear  to  harass  him  day  and 
night,  and  keep  him  in  continual  alarm.  The  militia  behaved 
with  great  spirit  after  the  first  day,  and  the  volunteers  from 
Vermont  were  exceedingly  serviceable. 

"Our  regular  troops,  notwithstanding  the  constant  skirmish- 
ing, and  repeated  endeavors  of  the  enemy  to  cross  the  river, 
kept  at  their  work,  day  and  night,  strengthening  their  de- 
fences, and  evinced  a  determination  to  hold  out  to  the  last 
extremity.  It  was  reported  that  the  enemy  only  awaited  the 
arrival  of  his  flotilla  to  make  a  general  attack.  About  eight, 
on  the  morning  of  the  11th,  as  was  expected,  the  flotilla  ap- 
peared in  sight,  round  Cumberland  Head,  and  at  nine,  bore 
down  and  engaged  our  flotilla,  at  anchor  in  the  bay  ofl"  this 
town.  At  the  same  instant,  the  batteries  were  opened  on  us, 
and  continued  throwing  bomb-shells,  shrapnells,  balls  and 
congreve  rockets  until  sunset,  when  the  bombardment  ceased ; 
every  battery  of  the  enemy  being  silenced  by  the  superiority 
of  our  fire.  The  naval  engagement  lasted  two  hours,  in  full 
view  of  both  armies.  Three  efforts  were  made  by  the  enemy 
to  pass  the  river  at  the  commencement  of  the  cannonade  and 
bombardment,  with  a  view  of  assaulting  the  works,  and  had 
prepared  for  that  purpose  an  immense  number  of  scaling  lad- 
ders ;  one  attempt  was  made  to  cross  at  the  village  bridge ; 
another  at  the  upper  bridge ;  and  a  third,  at  a  ford,  about 
three  miles  from  the  works.  At  the  two  first  he  was  repulsed 
by  the  regulars ;  at  the  ford,  by  the  brave  volunteers  and 


ALEXANDER    MACOMB.  157 

militia — where  he  suffered  severely  in  killed,  wounded  and 
prisoners,  a  considerable  body  having  passed  the  stream,  but 
were  either  killed,  taken,  or  driven  back.  The  woods  at  this 
place  were  very  favorable  to  the  operations  of  our  militia ;  a 
whole  company  of  the  76th  regiment  was  here  destroyed — the 
three  lieutenants  and  twenty -seven  men  prisoners ;  the  cap- 
tain and  the  rest  killed.  I  cannot  forego  the  pleasure  of  here 
stating  the  gallant  conduct  of  Captain  McGlassin,  of  the  15th 
regiment,  who  was  ordered  to  ford  the  river  and  attack  a  party 
constructing  a  battery  on  the  right  of  the  enemy's  line,  within 
five  hundred  yards  of  Fort  Brown — which  he  handsomely 
executed,  at  midnight,  with  fifty  men ;  drove  off  the  working 
party  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and  defeated  a 
covering  party  of  the  same  number,  killing  one  officer  and 
six  men  in  the  charge  and  wounding  many.  At  dusk,  the 
enemy  withdrew  his  artillery  from  the  batteries,  and  raised 
the  siege  ;  and  at  nine,  under  cover  of  the  night,  sent  off  all 
the  heavy  baggage  he  could  find  transport  for,  and  also  his 
artillery.  At  two  the  next  morning,  the  whole  army  pre- 
cipitately retreated,  leaving  the  sick  and  wounded  to  our 
generosity ;  and  the  governor  left  a  note  with  a  surgeon,  re- 
questing the  humane  attention  of  the  commanding  general. 

"  Vast  quantities  of  provision  were  left  behind  and  de- 
stroyed ;  also,  an  immense  quantity  of  bomb-shells,  cannon- 
balls,  grape-shot,  ammunition,  flints,  &c.  &c. ;  intrenching 
tools  of  all  sorts,  also  tents  and  marquees.  A  great  quantity 
has  been  found  in  the  ponds  and  creeks,  and  buried  in  the 
ground,  and  a  vast  quantity  carried  off  by  the  inhabitants. 
Such  was  the  precipitance  of  his  retreat,  that  he  arrived  at 
Chazy,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  before  we  had  discovered 
his  departure.  The  light  troops,  volunteers  and  militia,  pur- 
sued immediately  on  learning  his  flight ;  and  some  of  the 
mounted  men  made  prisoners,  five  dragoons  of  the  19th,  and 


158  ALEXANDER    MACOMB. 

several  others  of  the  rear  guard.  A  continued  fall  of  rain, 
and  a  violent  storm,  prevented  further  pursuit.  Upwards  of 
three  hundred  deserters  have  come  in,  and  many  are  hourly 
arriving.  The  loss  of  the  enemy  in  killed,  wounded,  prison- 
ers and  deserters,  since  his  first  appearance,  cannot  fall  short 
of  two  thousand  five  hundred,  including  many  ofiicers,  among 
whom  is  Colonel  Wellington,  of  the  Buffs.  Killed  and 
w^ounded  on  the  American  side ;  thirty-seven  killed,  sixty-six 
wounded — missing,  twenty ;  making  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
three.  The  whole  force  under  Sir  George  Prevost  amounted 
to  fourteen  thousand.  The  conduct  of  the  officers,  non-com- 
missioned officers  and  soldiers  of  my  command,  during  this 
trying  occasion,  cannot  be  represented  in  too  high  terms. 
"  I  have  the  honor,  &c. 

"Alex.  Macomb." 

This  victory  was  as  brilliant  as  it  was  unexpected.  The 
event  had  a  most  happy  effect  on  the  negotiations  then  going 
on  at  Ghent,  and  unquestionably  hastened  the  treaty  of  peace. 
Testimonials  of  respect  poured  in  upon  General  Macomb 
from  every  quarter  of  the  country.  Congress  voted  the  thanks 
of  the  country  and  a  gold  medal,  {See  Plate  VII.)  The 
President  promoted  him  to  the  rank  of  major-general,  dating 
his  commission  on  the  day  of  his  victory. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  war  General  Macomb  was  stationed 
at  his  native  town,  Detroit,  and  appointed  to  the  command  of 
the  northwestern  frontier.  In  1821  he  was  called  to  Wash- 
ington, to  take  the  office  of  chief  of  the  engineer  department; 
the  duties  of  which  he  discharged  to  the  general  satisfaction 
of  the  government  and  army,  until  the  death  of  General 
Brown,  in  1835 ;  he  was  then  nominated  to  that  station,  which 
nomination  v/as  confirmed  by  the  senate,  and  he  succeeded 
him  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  army.     In  this  capacity  he 


ALEXANDER    MACOMB.  159 

continued  to  reside  at  ttie  seat  of  government,  where  he  died 
on  the  25th  of  June,  1841,  aged  fifty-nine  years. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Battle  of  Plattsburgh, 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Macomb. 

Legend. — Major-General  Alexander  Macomb. 

Reverse. — A  battle  on  land,  Plattsburgh  in  sight :  troops 
crossing  a  bridge,  on  the  head  of  which  the  American  stand" 
ard  is  flying  :  vessels  engaged  on  the  lake. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  November  3,  1814. 

Exergue. — Battle  of  Plattsburgh,  September  11th,  1814. 


GEN.    ANDREW    JACKSON. 


Andrew  Jackson  was  born  on  the  15th  of  March,  1767, 
at  the  Waxhaw  settlement,  in  South  Carohna.  His  parents, 
who  were  natives  of  the  north  of  Ireland,  emigrated  to  this 
country  about  two  years  previous  to  the  birth  of  their  son. 
Having  lost  his  father  at  an  early  age,  he  was  left  to  the  care 
of  a  faithful  and  devoted  mother,  who  was  anxious  to  give 
him  such  an  education  as  her  limited  means  would  permit. 
For  this  purpose  she  placed  him  at  an  academy,  where  he 
remained  until  his  studies  were  interrupted  by  the  advance  of 
the  British  troops  into  the  neighborhood,  involving  his  native 
spot  in  a  scene  of  commotion.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
abandoned  his  studies  for  the  colonial  camp  ;  where,  in  com- 
pany with  an  elder  brother,  he  joined  the  American  army. 
The  troops  to  which  they  were  attached  withdrew  to  North 
Carolina,  but  soon  returned  again  to  their  own  state.  Before 
long  they  had  the  misfortune  of  being  made  prisoners  by  the 
enemy,  who  treated  them  with  great  barbarity,  and  inflicted 
injuries  upon  them  from  which  the  brother  soon  after  died. 

Andrew  only  escaped  with  his  life,  by  receiving  on  his  hand 
the  stroke  of  the  sword  which  was  aimed  with  fury  at  his 


GENERAL    ANDREW    JACKSON.  161 

head,  by  an  excited  British  officer,  for  refusing  to  perform 
some  menial  service. 

His  mother  survived  tke  death  of  her  son  but  a  few  weeks, 
thus  leaving  Andrew  sole  heir  to  the  small  estate  possessed  by 
his  late  parents.  In  1784,  he  commenced  the  study  of  law 
in  Salisbury,  North  Carolina;  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
1786,  and  removed  in  1788  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  then  a 
new  settlement  in  the  western  district  of  North  Carolina. 
This  district  having  been  ceded  to  the  United  States,  and 
organized  into  a  territory  in  1790,  he  was  appointed  to  the 
office  of  United  States  attorney ;  and  when  the  territory,  in 
its  turn  in  1796,  became  the  state  of  Tennessee,  he  was  a 
leading  member  of  the  convention  to  frame  a  constitution  for 
it,  and  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  proceedings  of  that  body. 
Professional  success  attended  him,  in  consequence  of  the  sin- 
gular condition  of  the  settlers,  and  being  the  only  practitioner, 
introduced  him  to  a  lucrative  business.  He  was  soon  after 
chosen  a  representative,  and  the  next  year  a  senator  in 
Congress;  his  seat  in  the  senate  he  resigned  at  the  end  of 
the  first  session;  but  was  immediately  appointed,  by  the 
legislature  of  Tennessee,  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of 
that  state,  an  office  from  which  he  also  soon  retired.  At 
his  farm  on  the  Cumberland  river,  near  Nashville,  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  till  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with  Great 
Britain  in  1812.  From  this  time  until  1814,  Andrew  Jackson 
was  employed  by  government  at  the  head  of  between  two 
and  three  thousand  volunteers,  as  a  major-general,  against  a 
hostile  movement  of  the  Creek  and  Muscogee  Indians,  who 
had  invaded  the  frontier  settlements  of  Alabama  and  Georgfia, 
and  inflicted  on  the  inhabitants  the  usual  horrors  of  savag-e 
warfare.  After  a  succession  of  bloody  victories  achieved  by 
him  over  these  tribes,  a  treaty  was  concluded,  and  they  agreed 
to  suspend  their  warfare.  In  1814  he  was  appointed  a  major- 
21 


162  GENERAL    ANDREW    JACKSON. 

general  in  the  United  States  service ;  and  proceeded  to  take 
the  command  of  the  forces  intended  for  the  defence  of  New 
Orleans,  against  the  apprehended  aitack  of  the  enemy.  On 
arriving  there  on  the  1st  of  December,  he  took  decided  mea- 
sures, acting  with  the  greatest  promptness.  Fearing  the  treach- 
ery of  some  disaffected  individuals,  he  at  once  proclaimed 
martial  law,  superseding  at  once  the  civil  authority  by  the 
introduction  of  a  rigid  military  police.  Towards  the  enemy 
he  acted  with  the  most  determined  energy.  The  British 
troops  had  no  sooner  effected  a  landing,  than  he  marched 
against  them,  and  by  assailing  them  in  the  night  of  the  22d 
of  December,  gained  great  advantages,  not  only  by  proving  to 
his  followers  what  their  ability  was  able  to  perform,  but  also 
to  communicate  to  the  invaders  what  they  had  to  encounter. 

This  protracted  contest  was  brought  to  a  close  by  the 
memorable  battle  of  the  8th  of  January,  1815,  which  raised 
the  reputation  of  the  American  commander  to  the  highest 
pitch  among  his  countrymen,  and  served  as  a  satisfactory 
apology,  with  many,  for  the  strong  measures  adopted  by  him 
before  the  landing  of  the  enemy,  and  immediately  on  his 
retreat.  Congress  voted  to  General  Jackson  the  thanks  of 
that  body  and  a  gold  medal.     {See  Plate  VII.) 

In  1818  General  Jackson  conducted  a  war  against  the 
Seminole  Indians,  and  with  a  force  of  Georgia  militia  and 
volunteers  from  Tennessee,  he  penetrated  into  Florida  to  the 
villages  of  the  savages  and  fugitive  slaves  who  had  joined 
them,  setting  fire  to  their  habitations  and  scattering  devasta^ 
tion  in  all  directions.  In  1821,  he  was  appointed  governor  of 
Florida,  that  territory  having  been  transferred  by  Spain  to 
the  United  States,  but  resigned  the  office  at  the  end  of  one 
year  and  returned  to  his  farm  near  Nashville. 

In  1822  the  leo-islature  of  Tennessee  nominated  General 
Jackson  as  the  successor  of  Mr.  Monroe,  in  the  presidency  of 


GENERAL    ANDREW    JACKSON.  163 

the  United  States  ;  the  proposition  was  favorably  received  in 
many  parts  of  the  Union,  but  by  the  provisions  of  the  con- 
stitution the  election  devolved  on  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, in  Congress,  voting  by  states,  and  Mr.  Adams  was 
selected  to  be  the  president.  General  Jackson  was  at  once 
nominated  to  succeed  Mr.  Adams,  and  was  elected  president 
in  1828,  and  again  in  1832  he  was  re-elected  to  that  high 
office. 

At  the  end  of  his  second  term.  General  Jackson  retired  to 
his  farm  called  the  "  Hermitage,"  near  Nashville,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death,  which  took  place  on  the  8th  of  June, 
1845,  in  the  78th  year  of  his  age.  Though  enfeebled  in 
body  he  retained  his  mental  faculties  undiminished  until  the 
day  of  his  death. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Victory  at  New  Orleans. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Jackson. 

Legend. — Major-General  Andrew  Jackson. 

Reverse. — Victory  seated  and  supporting  a  tablet  before 
her  with  her  left  hand,  which  also  holds  a  laurel  wreath ;  has 
commenced  the  record  of  the  glorious  victory  of  the  8th  of 
January,  1815,  and  headed  the  tablet  with  the  word  Orleans, 
but  is  interrupted  by  a  female  personifying  peace,  who  holds 
an  olive  branch  in  her  right  hand,  and  with  her  left  points  to 
the  tablet,  as  if  directing  Victory  to  record  the  peace  between 
the  United  States  and  England.  Victory  is  in  the  act  of  turn- 
ing round  to  listen  to  her  instructress. 

Exergue. — Battle  of  New  Orleans,  January  8th,  1815. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  February  27th,  1815. 


GEN.    ISAAC    SHELBY. 


Isaac  Shelby,  a  distinguished  American  revolutionary 
officer,  was  born  on  the  11th  of  December,  1750,  near  the 
North  Mountain,  in  Maryland,  where  his  father  and  grand- 
father settled  after  their  emigration  to  America  from  Wales. 
In  that  early  settlement  of  the  country,  which  was  much  an- 
noyed by  wars  with  the  Indians,  Shelby  obtained  only  the 
elements  of  a  plain  English  education  ;  but  born  with  a  rug- 
ged constitution,  capable  of  bearing  privations  and  fatigue,  he 
became  accustomed  to  the  early  use  of  arms  and  pursuit  of 
game.  General  Evan  Shelby,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  memoir,  was  born  in  Wales,  and  arrived  in  this  country 
when  quite  a  small  lad  with  his  father,  and  settled  near 
Hagerstown,  Maryland.  He  possessed  a  strong  mind,  with  great 
perseverance  and  unshaken  courage,  which,  with  his  skill  as  a 
hunter  and  woodsman,  induced  his  appointment  as  captain  of 
a  company  of  rangers,  in  the  French  and  Indian  war,  which 
commenced  in  1754.  During  this  year  he  made  several  suc- 
cessful expeditions  into  the  Alleghany  mountains.  He  fought 
many  severe  battles  with  the  unfortunate  Braddock,  and  was 


GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY.  165 

appointed  a  captain  in  the  provincial  army  destined  for  the 
reduction  of  Fort  Du  Quesne,  now  Pittsburgh.  He  planned 
and  laid  out  the  old  Pennsylvania  road  across  the  Alleghany 
mountains,  and  led  the  advance  of  the  army  commanded  by 
General  Forbes,  vi^hich  took  possession  of  Fort  Du  Quesne 
in  1758.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  bravery  at  the  battle 
of  Loyal  Hanning,  now  Bedford,  Pennsylvania.  In  1772  he 
removed  to  the  western  w^aters,  and  commanded  a  company 
in  1774,  in  the  campaign  under  Lewis  and  Lord  Dunmore, 
against  the  Indians  on  the  Scioto  river.  Isaac  Shelby  was 
appointed  a  lieutenant  in  the  company  of  his  father,  and  fought 
in  the  memorable  battle  of  Kenhawa,  and  at  the  close  of  that 
campaign  was  appointed  by  Lord  Dunmore  to  be  second  in 
command  of  a  garrison,  to  be  erected  on  the  ground  where 
this  battle  was  fought.  This  vs^as  considered  to  be  the  most 
severe  battle  ever  fought  with  the  vv^estern  Indians ;  the  con- 
test continued  from  sunrise  to  sunsetting,  and  the  ground  along 
the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  for  nearly  half  a  mile,  was  scattered 
wdth  bodies  at  the  end  of  the  conflict.  The  Indians,  under 
their  celebrated  chief.  Cornstalk,  abandoned  the  ground  during 
the  darkness  of  the  night.  Lieutenant  Isaac  Shelby  remained 
in  this  garrison  until  1775,  when  it  was  disbanded  by  Gover- 
nor Dunmore,  fearing  it  might  be  held  for  the  benefit  of  the 
rebel  authorities  ;  he  then  removed  to  Kentucky,  and  engaged 
in  the  business  of  a  land  surveyor ;  but  after  living  for  nearly 
twelve  months  in  the  cane-breaks,  without  either  bread  or  salt, 
his  health  began  to  decline  and  he  returned  to  Virginia. 

Immediately  on  his  return  in  1776,  the  committee  of  safety 
in  Virginia,  appointed  him  captain  of  a  minute  company — a 
species  of  troops  organized  upon  the  first  breaking  out  of  the 
revolution,  but  not  called  into  service  from  the  extreme  fron- 
tier where  he  lived.  In  the  year  1777  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Henry  a  commissary  of  supplies  for  an  extensive 


166  GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY. 

body  of  militia,  posted  at  different  garrisons  to  guard  the  fron- 
tier settlements,  and  for  a  treaty  to  be  held  at  the  Long  Island 
of  Holston  river  with  the  Cherokee  tribe  of  Indians.  These 
supplies  could  not  be  obtained  nearer  than  Staunton,  Virginia, 
a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles;  but,  by  the  most  inde- 
fatigable perseverance,  one  of  the  most  prominent  traits  in 
his  character,  he  accomplished  it  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
country.  In  1778  he  was  still  engaged  in  the  commissary 
department  to  provide  supplies  for  the  continental  army,  and 
for  a  formidable  expedition,  by  the  way  of  Pittsburgh,  against 
the  north-western  Indians.  In  1779  he  was  appointed  by 
Governor  Henry  to  furnish  supplies  for  a  campaign  against 
the  Chicamanga  Indians — a  numerous  banditti  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Tennessee  river,  under  the  control  of  a  daring 
Cherokee  chief,  called  Dragon  Canoe,  who,  after  his  defeat  at 
the  Long  Island  of  Holston,  in  1776,  had  declared  eternal 
war  against  the  whites. 

The  frontiers  from  Georgia  to  Pennsylvania  suffered  from 
their  depredations,  more  than  from  all  the  other  hostile  tribes 
together.  Owing  to  the  poverty  of  the  treasury  at  this  time, 
the  government  was  unable  to  advance  the  necessary  funds, 
and  the  whole  expense  of  the  supplies,  including  transporta- 
tion, was  sustained  by  his  own  individual  credit.  In  the 
spring  of  that  year  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia 
legislature  from  Washington  county,  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year,  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Jefferson  as  a  major  in 
the  escort  of  guards  to  the  commissioners  for  extending  the 
boundary  line  between  that  state  and  the  state  of  North 
Carolina.  By  the  extension  of  that  line  Major  Shelby  became 
a  resident  of  North  Carolina,  and  Governor  Caswell  imme- 
diately appointed  him  a  colonel  of  the  militia  of  the  new 
county  of  Sullivan,  established  in  consequence  of  the  addi- 
tional territory  acquired  by  the  running  of  that  line.     During 


GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY.  1G7 

the  summer  of  1780,  whilst  Colonel  Shelby  was  in  Kentucky, 
securing  and  laying  out  those  lands  which  he  had  five  years 
previously  improved  for  himself,  the  intelligence  of  the  sur- 
render of  Charleston  and  the  loss  of  the  army,  reached  him. 

He  immediately  returned  home,  determined  to  enter  the 
service  of  his  country,  to  quit  it  no  more  but  by  death,  or 
until  her  independence  should  be  secured.  He  was  not  will- 
ing to  be  a  cool  spectator  of  a  contest  in  which  the  dearest 
rights  and  interests  of  his  country  were  involved.  On  his 
arrival  in  Sullivan,  he  found  a  requisition  from  General 
McDowell,  requesting  him  to  furnish  all  the  aid  in  his  power 
to  check  the  enemy,  who  had  overrun  the  two  southern  states, 
and  were  on  the  borders  of  North  Carolina. 

Colonel  Shelby  without  delay  called  on  the  militia  of  his 
county  to  volunteer  their  services  for  only  a  short  time,  on  an 
occasion  so  trying,  and  accordingly  he  collected  three  hundred 
mounted  riflemen,  and  marched  across  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains. Having  arrived  at  McDowall's  camp,  near  the  Chero- 
kee ford  of  Broad  river.  Colonel  Shelby  was  detached  with 
Lieutenant-Colonels  Sevier  and  Clarke,  with  six  hundred  men, 
to  surprise  a  post  of  the  enemy  in  front,  on  the  waters  of  the 
Pacolet  river.  This  post  was  a  strong  fort  surrounded  by 
abattis,  built  in  the  Cherokee  war,  and  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Patrick  Moore.  The  Americans  surrounded  the  post 
within  musket-shot  and  gave  the  summons  to  surrender ;  this 
w^as  unheeded,  but  the  second  had  the  desired  effect.  Cap- 
tain Moore  surrendered  the  garrison  with  one  British  sergeant- 
major,  ninety -three  loyalists,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  stand 
of  arms,  loaded  with  ball  and  buckshot,  and  so  arranged  at 
the  port-holes,  that  with  a  very  little  sagacity,  they  might  have 
repulsed  double  the  number  of  the  American  detachment. 
Shortly  after  this  affair.  Colonels  Shelby  and  Clarke  were 
detached,  with  six  hundred  mounted  men,  to  watch  the  enemy 


168  GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY. 

and  intercept,  if  possible,  his  foraging  parties.  Several  at- 
tempts were  made  by  a  party  of  about  twenty-five  hundred, 
composed  of  British  and  tories,  with  a  small  squadron  of 
British  horse,  commanded  by  Major  Ferguson,  an  officer  of 
some  enterprise,  to  surprise  Colonel  Shelby,  but  the  enemy 
was  baffled.  On  the  first  of  August,  however,  the  Ameri- 
can commander  had  reached  a  place  called  Cedar  Spring, 
where  the  advance  of  Major  Ferguson,  amounting  to  about 
six  or  seven  hundred,  came  up,  and  a  sharp  conflict  ensued  for 
half  an  hour,  when  Ferguson  approached  with  his  whole 
force.  The  Americans  then  retreated,  carrying  off  the  field 
fifty  prisoners,  mostly  British,  including  two  officers.  The 
enemy  followed  in  quick  pursuit  for  nearly  five  miles,  in  order 
to  regain  the  prisoners;  but  the  American  commander,  by 
forming  frequently  on  the  most  advantageous  ground  to  give 
battle,  so  retarded  the  pursuit,  that  the  prisoners  were  placed 
beyond  their  reach.  The  American  loss  was  ten  or  twelve 
killed  and  wounded.  Only  a  few  days  after  this  conflict, 
intelligence  w^as  received  from  General  McDowell,  that  five 
or  six  hundred  tories  were  encamped  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Enoree,  about  forty  miles  distance,  with 
orders  to  Colonels  Shelby,  Clarke  and  Williams,  of  South 
Carolina,  with  about  seven  hundred  horsemen,  to  surprise  and 
disperse  them.  The  American  commanders  took  up  their 
line  of  march  from  Smith's  Ford  of  Broad  river,  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  18th  of  August,  continuing  through  the  woods 
until  dark,  and  then  pursuing  a  road,  leaving  Ferguson's  camp 
about  three  miles  to  the  left.  After  riding  hard  all  night, 
frequently  on  a  gallop,  and  just  at  the  dawn  of  day,  and  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  enemy's  camp,  they  met  a  strong  patrol 
party,  with  w^hom  a  short  skirmish  ensued,  and  several  of 
them  were  killed.  At  that  juncture,  a  countryman  living 
just  at  hand,  came  up  and  informed  Colonel  Shelby,  that  the 


GEiNERAL    ISAAC    SllELBV.  169 

enemy  had  been  reinforced  the  evening  before  with  six  hun- 
dred regular  troops  from  New  York,  under  Colonel  Innes, 
destined  to  reinforce  Ferguson's  army.  This  intelUgence, 
which  w^as  found  to  be  correct,  changed  the  movement  of  the 
troops,  for,  fatigued  and  exhausted  as  they  were,  it  was  deemed 
improper  to  march  on  and  attack  the  enemy.  They  instantly 
determined  to  form  a  breastwork  of  old  logs  and  brush,  and 
make  the  best  defence  in  their  power.  Captain  Inman  and  a 
detachment  of  twenty-five  men  were  sent  out  to  meet  the 
enemy,  and  skirmish  with  them  as  soon  as  they  crossed  the 
Enoree  river.  Captain  Inman  was  ordered  to  fire  upon  them, 
and  retreat  according  to  discretion.  This  stratagem  drew  the 
enemy  out  in  disorder,  supposing  the  whole  army  was  near. 
When  they  came  within  seventy  yards,  a  most  destructive  fire 
commenced  from  the  American  riflemen,  concealed  behind  the 
breastwork  of  logs.  For  an  hour  the  American  army  kept 
possession  of  the  slender  breastwork,  during  which  Colonel 
Innes  was  wounded,  and  all  the  British  officers,  except  a 
subaltern,  being  previously  killed  or  wounded,  and  Captain 
Hawzey,  a  noted  tory  leader,  being  shot  down,  the  whole  of 
the  enemy's  line  made  a  precipitate  retreat,  closely  pursued 
by  the  Americans,  w^ho  beat  them  across  the  river.  In  this 
pursuit  Captain  Inman  was  killed,  bravely  fighting  hand  to" 
hand.  Colonel  Shelby  commanded  the  right  wing,  Colonel 
Clarke  the  left,  and  Colonel  Williams  the  centre.  In  M'Call's 
History  of  Georgia,  (the  only  work  in  which  this  battle  is 
related,)  the  British  loss  is  stated  to  be  sixty-three  killed  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty  wounded  and  taken;  the  American  loss 
to  be  four  killed  and  nine  wounded.  Amongst  the  killed  was 
Captain  Inman,  and  amongst  the  wounded,  Colonel  Clarke  and 
Captain  Clarke.  The  Americans  mounted  their  horses,  intend- 
ing to  reach  Ninety-six,  a  small  British  post,  that  night,  but  be- 
fore they  had  commenced  their  march,  an  express  in  great  haste 
22 


170  GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY. 

arrived  from  General  McDowell,  apprising  them  of  the  de- 
feat of  the  grand  American  army  under  General  Gates,  near 
Camden,  and  advising  them  to  be  on  the  alert,  as  the  enemy 
would,  no  doubt,  endeavor  to  improve  their  victory  by  destroy- 
ing all  the  small  corps  of  the  American  army  within  their 
reach.  Colonel  Shelby  disposed  of  his  British  prisoners  by 
distributing  them  amongst  the  companies,  so  as  to  make  one 
to  every  three  men,  who  carried  them  alternately,  directly 
towards  the  mountains,  and  commenced  a  rapid  march  all  that 
day  and  night,  and  the  next  day  until  late  in  the  evening, 
without  even  halting  to  refresh.  Harassing  as  this  long  and 
rapid  march  must  have  been,  it  saved  them,  as  they  were 
pursued  until  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  after  the 
action,  by  a  strong  detachment  from  Ferguson's  army.  Fer- 
guson was  so  anxious  and  determined  to  recapture  the  pri- 
soners, and  to  check  those  daring  adventures  of  the  moun- 
taineers, that,  in  order  to  intercept  their  march,  he,  with  his 
main  body,  took  post  at  a  place  called  Gilbert  Town,  whence 
he  sent  messages,  by  paroled  prisoners,  to  the  officers  west  of 
the  mountains,  threatening  the  devastation  of  their  country  if 
they  did  not  cease  their  opposition  to  the  British  government. 
This  was  the  most  critical  period  of  the  revolutionary  war 
at  the  south.  It  appeared  doubtful  whether  a  force  sufficient 
could  be  raised  to  prevent  the  entire  devastation  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  continent.  Cornwaliis  and  the  main  army  were 
posted  at  Charlottetown,  in  North  Carolina,  and  Ferguson, 
with  three  thousand  at  Gilbert  Town ;  while  many  of  the  best 
friends  of  the  American  government,  despairing  of  the  eventual 
independence  of  America,  sought  protection  under  the  British 
standard.  At  this  season  of  gloom,  Colonel  Shelby  proposed 
to  Colonels  Sevier  and  Campbell  to  raise  a  force  from  their 
several  counties,  and  to  march  hastily  through  the  moun- 


GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY.  171 

tains,  and  attack  and  surprise  Ferguson  in  the  night.  Accord- 
ingly they  collected  about  one  thousand  strong,  but  when,  on 
the  26th  of  September,  they  commenced  their  march,  it  was 
discovered  that  three  men  had  deserted  to  the  enemy.  This 
disconcerted  their  first  design,  and  induced  them  to  turn  to 
the  left,  gain  his  front,  instead  of  his  rear,  as  was  first  in- 
tended, and  act  as  events  might  suggest.  For  days  they 
traveled  through  mountains  almost  inaccessible  to  horsemen, 
but  soon  entered  the  level  country,  where  they  met  Colo- 
nel Cleaveland  with  three  hundred  men,  and  with  Colonels 
Williams,  Lacy  and  others,  who  had  heard  of  Cleaveland' s 
advance.  Three  hundred  more  were  thus  added  to  the  force 
of  the  mountaineers.  They  now  considered  themselves  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  encounter  Ferguson ;  and  by  a  council  of 
officers  it  was  agreed  that  Colonel  Campbell,  of  the  Virginia 
regiment,  should  be  appointed  to  the  command.  They  ac- 
cordingly selected  the  best  horses  and  rifles,  and  at  the  dawn 
of  day  nine  hundred  and  ten  expert  marksmen  commenced 
their  march.  In  their  council,  also,  they  determined  that 
as  Ferguson  was  their  object,  they  would  not  be  diverted  from 
the  main  point  by  any  collection  of  tories  in  the  vicinity  of 
their  march. 

For  the  first  thirty-six  hours  they  traveled,  they  alighted 
from  their  horses  but  once,  and  that  only  for  one  hour. 
They  at  last  found  Ferguson  securely  encamped  on  King's 
Mountain,  which  was  about  half  a  mile  long,  and  from  which 
he  declared  but  the  evening  before  that  "  God  Alimighty 
could  not  drive  him." 

On  approaching  the  mountain,  the  two  centre  columns  dis- 
played to  the  right  and  left,  formed  a  front,  and  commenced 
an  attack ;  while  the  right  and  left  wings  were  marching  to 
surround  the  enemy.  In  a  few  minutes  the  action  was  gene- 
ral and  severe.    It  continued  furiously  for  three-quarters  of  an 


172  GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY. 

hour,  when  the  enemy,  being  driven  from  the  east  to  the  west 
end  of  the  mountain,  surrendered  at  discretion.  Ferguson 
was  killed,  with  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  his  officers 
and  men,  and  seven  hundred  and  thirty  taken  prisoners.  The 
Americans  had  sixty  killed  and  wounded;  among  the  former 
was  Colonel  Williams. 

This  glorious  victory  took  place  at  the  most  gloomy  period 
of  the  revolution,  and  may  be  styled  the  first  link  in  the  great 
chain  of  events  at  the  south,  which  established  the  independ- 
ence of  the  United  States.  It  was  achieved  by  raw,  undis- 
ciplined riflemen,  who  had  no  authority  from  the  government 
under  which  they  lived ;  who  were  without  pay,  rations,  ammu- 
nition, or  even  the  expectation  of  reward,  other  than  that  which 
resulted  from  the  noble  attempt  to  advance  the  independence  of 
their  beloved  country.  The  tories  were  completely  dispirited, 
and  Cornwallis,  who  then  lay  within  thirty  miles  of  King's 
Mountain,  became  so  alarmed  that  he  ordered  an  immediate 
retreat  to  Winnesborough,  sixty  or  eighty  miles  distant,  where 
he  remained  for  three  months,  until  reinforced  by  General 
Leslie,  with  two  thousand  men  from  the  Chesapeake. 

The  legislature  of  North  Carolina  passed  a  vote  of  thanks 
to  Colonel  Shelby  and  his  brother  officers,  and  directed  each 
to  be  presented  with  an  elegant  sword,  for  his  patriotic  con- 
duct in  the  attack  and  defeat  of  the  British  on  King's  Moun- 
tain, on  the  memorable  7th  of  October,  1780.  Colonel  Shelby 
served  the  two  following  years  under  that  distinguished  par- 
tisan officer.  General  Marion.  In  1782,  Colonel  Shelby  re- 
tired from  the  army,  and  was  appointed  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners to  settle  the  pre-emption  claims  upon  the  Cumberland 
river,  and  to  lay  off  the  lands  allotted  to  the  officers  and  sol- 
diers of  the  North  Carolina  line,  south  of  where  Nashville 
now  stands.  In  1783,  he  returned  to  Boonsborough,  Ken- 
tucky, and   married    Susanna,   second  daughter  of  Captain 


GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY.  173 

Hart,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Kentucky,  and  one  of  the 
proprietors  styled  Henderson  &  Co.,  by  their  purchase  of  the 
country  from  the  Cherokees.  Colonel  Shelby  established 
himself  on  the  first  settlement  and  pre-emption  granted  in 
Kentucky,  for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  the  soil ;  and  it  is  a 
remarkable  fact,  that  at  the  period  of  his  death,  forty-three 
years  after,  he  was  the  only  individual  in  that  state  residing 
upon  his  own  settlement  and  pre-emption.  In  1812  he  was 
chosen  governor  of  the  state  in  w^hich  he  lived ;  and  during 
the  trying  crisis  of  1813,  at  the  request  of  the  legislature,  he 
organized  a  body  of  four  thousand  volunteers,  which  he  led 
in  person,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three,  under  General  Harrison, 
into  Canada.  His  gallantry  and  patriotism  at  that  ever  me- 
morable victory  on  the  Thames,  were  acknowledged  by  the 
commanding  general,  and  by  President  Madison,  and  in  reso- 
lutions by  the  legislature  of  Kentucky,  which  recognized  "  his 
plans  and  the  execution  of  them  as  splendid  realities,  which 
exact  our  gratitude  and  that  of  his  country,  and  justly  entitle 
him  to  the  applause  of  posterity."  Congress  also  passed  a 
vote  of  thanks,  and  awarded  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate  VII.),  as 
a  testimony  of  its  sense  of  his  illustrious  services. 

In  1817,  he  was  selected  by  President  Monroe  to  fill  the 
department  of  war,  but  his  advanced  age  induced  him  to 
decline  the  honor.  In  February,  1820,  he  was  seized  with  a 
paralytic  affection,  which  disabled  his  right  arm  and  was  the 
occasion  of  a  lameness  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  mind 
continued  unimpaired  until  his  death  by  apoplexy,  on  the 
18th  of  July,  1826,  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his  age.  He 
was  fitted,  by  a  vigorous  constitution,  to  endure  active  and 
severe  bodily  exercise,  and  the  energetic  symmetry  of  his 
person  rendered  his  deportment  impressively  dignified.  His 
strong,  natural  sense  was  aided  by  close  observation  of  mat- 
ters and  things ;  and  the  valuable  qualities  of  method  and 
perseverance  imparted  success  to  all  his  efforts. 


174  GENERAL    ISAAC    SHELBY. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 


Occasion. — Battle  of  the  Thames. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Shelby. 

Legend. — Governor  Isaac  Shelby. 

Reverse. — A  representation  of  the  battle  of  the  Thames, 
in  Canada ;  Governor  Shelby  charging  the  enemy  vi^ith  his 
mounted  rangers. 

Legend. — Battle  of  the  Thames,  October  5,  1813. 

Exergue. — Resolution  of  Congress,  April  4th,  1818. 


riate.ii. 


WILLIAM    HENRY    HAREISON. 


William  Henry  Harrison  was  born  at  the  seat  of  his 
father,  at  Berkely,  on  James  river,  twenty-live  miles  from 
Richmond,  Virginia.  His  father,  Benjamin  Harrison,  was  a 
descendant  of  the  celebrated  leader  of  that  name  in  the  wars 
of  Oliver  Cromwell.  He  appears  to  have  inherited  republi- 
canism, for  he  acted  a  most  conspicuous  part  in  our  own  revo- 
lutionary struggle.  He  represented  Virginia  in  Congress,  in 
the  years  1774, 1775  and  1776,  and  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee of  the  whole  house  when  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence was  read,  and  was  one  of  the  signers  of  that  act.  In 
1782  he  succeeded  Governor  Nelson  in  the  executive  chair  of 
that  state.  William  Henry  Harrison,  the  subject  of  this  me- 
moir, was  educated  at  the  college  of  Hampden  Sydney,  which 
he  left  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  to  obey  the  wishes  of  his 
father  in  the  study  of  medicine,  and  for  that  purpose  repaired 
to  Philadelphia  in  1791,  that  he  might  prosecute  his  studies 
with  greater  advantage. 

He  had  hardly  commenced  the  study  of  his  new  profession 
when  the  death  of  his  distinguished  parent  obliged  him  to 


176  WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON. 

return.  After  his  return,  and  during  the  time  appropriated  for 
the  settlement  of  his  father's  estate,  the  preparations  for  a  cam- 
paign against  the  Indians  of  the  west  caused  much  excitement, 
and  Harrison  resolved  to  enter  the  service  of  his  government 
despite  the  most  eloquent  entreaties  and  persuasions  of  his 
guardian  and  friends.  Nothing  could  check  his  enthusiastic 
ardor.  He  begged,  he  importuned,  and  Washington  at  last 
yielded  to  his  constant  importunities,  and  presented  him  with 
an  ensign's  commission.  With  a  heart  beating  with  enthu- 
siasm, he  departed  for  Fort  Washington,  now  Cincinnati,  where 
he  arrived  only  in  time  to  learn  the  unparalleled  massacre  of 
St.  Clair's  army,  and  the  deaths  of  several  distinguished  officers. 
The  sight  of  the  broken  troops  had  no  effect  on  the  warlike  zeal 
of  young  Harrison.  In  the  following  year.  General  Wayne  as- 
sumed the  command,  and  appointed  Ensign  Harrison  as  one 
of  his  aids. 

The  first  time  he  had  a  chance  to  distinguish  himself  was 
in  the  engagement  of  Roche  de  Bouc,  in  the  official  report  of 
which,  his  general  did  him  the  justice  to  name  him  espe- 
cially. 

After  the  departure  of  General  Wayne  for  the  Atlantic 
States,  in  1795,  Harrison  was  left  in  command  of  Fort  Wash- 
ington. During  the  first  year  of  his  garrison  life,  he  married 
the  daughter  of  Judge  Symmes,  the  proprietor  of  the  Miami 
purchase.  But  the  active  mind  of  Harrison  could  not  be  con- 
fined within  the  M-alls  of  a  garrison ;  he  therefore  resigned  his 
commission,  and  obtained  an  appointment  as  secretary  of  the 
north-western  territory.  His  able  talents,  exercised  in  that 
capacity,  soon  made  him  popular,  and  in  1799  he  was  elected 
the  first  delegate  in  Congress  for  that  extensive  region,  now 
comprising  the  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  the  terri- 
tory of  Michigan.  The  first  object  of  his  attention  was  a  re- 
peal of  the  obnoxious  land  bill,  wliich  ordained,  that  not  less 


WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON.  177 

than  four  thousand  acres  could  be  sold  at  once.  He  became 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  lands  and  framed  a  bill,  which 
was  carried  with  very  little  opposition.  This  bill  low^ered  the 
number  of  acres  to  sections,  half-sections,  and  quarter-sections, 
so  as  to  enable  the  industrious  husbandman  to  commence  his 
labors ;  also  providing  for  the  payment  of  the  lands  in  such  a 
way  as  to  meet  the  exigences  of  the  most  frugal  means. 

To  this  grand  and  important  act  of  William  Henry  Harri- 
son, is  imputed  the  rapid  settlement  of  the  whole  of  that  ex- 
tensive region ;  and  had  he  only  been  permitted  to  live  to  see 
this  noble  act  completed,  he  would  richly  have  merited  the 
title  of  a  benefactor  to  mankind.  Shortly  after,  Indiana  was 
erected  into  a  separate  territory,  and  Mr.  Adams  appointed 
Harrison  the  first  governor. 

In  1801,  Governor  Harrison  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his 
new  office,  with  powers  never  before  conferred  upon  any  other 
officer,  either  civil  or  military,  that  of  commissioner  to  treat 
wdth  the  Indians.  In  this  capacity  he  negotiated  and  concluded 
fifteen  treaties,  with  their  title  to  upwards  of  seventy  millions 
of  acres  of  land.  Although  he  was  surrounded  by  numerous 
tribes  of  warlike  Indians,  w^hose  hostile  feelings  w^ere  con- 
stantly inflamed  by  the  intrigues  of  British  agents  and  traders, 
and  often  by  the  American  hunters  themselves,  Harrison  kept 
down  Indian  invasion  in  the  territory,  only  by  conciliation 
accompanied  by  firmness.  His  administration  of  justice  was 
always  tempered  with  mildness.  In  this  way  he  surmounted 
difficulties  which  would  have  prostrated  any  ordinary  capacity. 
The  ability  and  success  of  the  administration  of  Governor  Har- 
rison are  recorded  in  his  voluminous  correspondence  with  Mr. 
Jefi"erson  from  1802  till  1809. 

During  the  year  1811,  affairs  approached  a  crisis  which 
appeared  to  render  hostilities  unavoidable;  and  Governor 
Harrison  found  it  necessary  to  apply  to  Colonel  Boyd,  of  the 
23 


178  WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON. 

4th  United  States  regiment,  then  at  Pittsburgh,  who  imme- 
diately joined  iiim,  with  as  large  a  force  of  militia  as  time 
permitted  him  to  collect,  together  with  a  small  but  gallant 
band  of  volunteers  from  Kentucky,  numbering  about  seventy 
persons.  With  these  he  marched  towards  the  prophet's  town, 
at  Tippecanoe.  His  object  was  to  bring  about  a  negotiation 
with  Tecumseh  and  his  prophet  brother,  who  for  a  long  time 
had  been  harassing  and  plundering  the  inhabitants  of  that 
part  of  the  country.  On  the  6th  of  November  he  arrived 
in  sight  of  the  Indian  village,  and  commenced  his  attempts 
at  negotiation  with  these  ruthless  savages.  Finding,  how- 
ever, that  all  his  attempts  were  fruitless,  he  resolved  to  en- 
camp for  the  night,  the  chiefs  having  promised  to  listen  to 
him  on  the  day  following.  Governor  Harrison  was  careful 
in  selecting  a  spot  for  the  encampment,  in  case  of  a  sudden 
attack,  which  he  anticipated.  His  anticipation  proved  too 
true;  for  on  the  morning  of  the-7th,  before  daylight,  the  onset 
of  these  blood-thirsty  savages  was  announced  by  their  hideous 
yells.  The  Indians  fought  with  their  usual  desperation,  and 
for  some  time  w^ere  victorious;  but  the  extraordinary  skill 
and  courage  of  the  American  officers  changed  the  tide  against 
them,  and  they  fled  before  their  pursuers.  Victory  was  pro- 
pitious, but  at  the  expense  of  some  of  the  most  gallant  spirits 
of  the  age. 

Colonels  Davis  and  Owen,  of  Kentucky,  and  Captain  Spen- 
cer, of  Indiana,  were  among  the  slain.  Governor  Harrison  re- 
ceived a  bullet  through  his  stock,  but  without  injury. 

Governor  Harrison  still  continued  to  negotiate  with  the  In- 
dians, until  the  declaration  of  war  against  England,  in  1812. 
He  then  received  a  commission  as  a  major-general  in  the  army 
of  the  United  States,  embracing  a  larger  sphere  of  action.  At 
that  period  the  greatest  confusion  prevailed.    Money,  arms,  and 


WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON.  179 

men  must  be  raised,  but  who  would  assume  the  responsibility 
of  procuring  them  ? 

All  the  talents  and  energies  of  our  hero  were  called  into 
action.  He  organized  his  army,  obtained  money,  arms,  and 
ammunition,  and  on  the  5th  of  October,  1813,  he  brought  the 
British  army,  with  their  Indian  allies  under  Tecumseh,  to  ac- 
tion,  near  the  river  Thames.  The  decisive  victory  achieved 
by  militia  over  the  disciplined  troops  of  England,  was  a  matter 
of  joy  and  exultation  through  the  whole  Union.  This  gallant 
victory  is  attributed  to  the  novel  maneuver  of  General  Har- 
rison, that  of  charging  through  the  British  lines  with  mounted 
infantry.  For  this  important  action,  Congress  presented  a 
vote  of  thanks  and  a  gold  medal.  {See  Plate  VIII.) 

General  Harrison,  having  given  the  necessary  aid  to  Niagara 
and  the  western  frontier,  left  his  troops  at  Sacket's  Harbor 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Smith,  and  repaired  to  Wash- 
ington for  the  purpose  of  resigning  his  commission,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  misunderstanding  between  the  Secretary  of  War 
and  himself.  The  resignation  was  presented  and  accepted 
by  Secretary  Armstrong,  much  to  the  regret  of  the  President, 
who  w^as  absent  at  the  time ;  on  his  return  he  remarked,  in 
a  letter  to  a  friend,  "  that  had  he  been  in  Washington,  it 
should  not  have  been  accepted."  General  Harrison  retired  to 
his  estate  at  North  Bend,  in  Ohio.  Thence  he  was  suc- 
cessively called  to  represent  the  people  of  Ohio  in  the  House 
of  Representatives,  and  Senate  of  the  United  States,  by  which 
he  was  appointed  minister  to  Colombia,  till  recalled  by 
President  Jackson.  On  his  return  to  the  United  States, 
General  Harrison  again  enjoyed  the  pursuits  of  agriculture  in 
the  bosom  of  his  family  at  North  Bend,  until  1834,  when  he 
was  appointed  prothonotary  of  the  court  of  Hamilton  county. 
This   office   he  punctually  attended  in  person,  until   1840, 


180  WILLIAM    HENRY    HARRISON. 

when  he  was  triumphantly  elected  to  the  presidency  of  the 
United  States.  He  was  inaugurated  and  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  his  office  on  the  4th  of  March,  1841,  and  died  on  the 
following  4th  of  April.  In  their  official  announcement  of 
the  death  of  General  Harrison,  the  members  of  his  cabinet 
say,  "  that  the  people  of  the  United  States,  overwhelmed,  like 
ourselves,  by  an  event  so  unexpected  and  so  melancholy,  will 
derive  consolation  from  knowing  that  his  death  was  calm  and 
resigned,  as  his  life  had  been  patriotic,  useful,  and  distin- 
guished, and  that  the  last  utterance  of  his  lips  expressed  a  fer- 
vent desire  for  the  perpetuity  of  the  constitution,  and  the  pre- 
servation of  its  true  principles." 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Battle  of  the  Thames. 

Device. — Bust  of  General  Harrison. 

Legend. — Major  General  William  H.  Harrison. 

Reverse. — A  female  placing  a  wreath  round  two  bayonets 
fixed  on  muskets,  and  a  color  staff  stacked,  over  a  drum  and 
a  cannon,  a  bow  and  a  quiver ;  her  right  hand  resting  on  a 
shield,  bearing  the  stars  and  stripes  of  the  United  States,  and 
holding  a  halbert.  From  the  point  of  union  of  the  stack, 
hangs  a  badge  with  the  inscription.  Fort  Meigs,  Battle  of  the 
Thames. 

Legend. — Resolution  of  Congress,  April  4th,  1818. 

Exergue.— Battle  of  the  Thames,  Oct.  5th,  1813. 


LIEUT.-COLONEL    CROGHAN. 


George  Croghan  was  born  at  Locust  Grove,  near  the  falls 
of  Ohio,  on  the  15th  of  November,  1791.  His  father.  Major 
William  Croghan,  left  Ireland  at  an  early  period  of  life ;  was 
appointed  an  officer  in  our  revolutionary  army,  and  dis- 
charged his  duties  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  commander-in- 
chief  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  John  Clark,  Esq.,  of 
Virginia,  a  gentleman  of  worth  and  respectability,  who  ex- 
erted himself  greatly,  and  contributed  largely  towards  the 
support  of  our  just  and  glorious  contest. 

George  Croghan  received  all  the  advantages  of  education 
which  the  best  grammar-schools  in  Kentucky  could  afford. 
In  his  seventeenth  year  he  entered  the  ancient  college  of 
William  and  Mary  in  Virginia.  Both  at  school  and  at  col- 
lege, he  was  remarked  for  an  open  manliness  of  character,  for 
elevation  of  sentiment,  and  for  strength  of  intellect,  connected 
with  a  high  and  persevering  ambition.  In  July,  1810,  he 
graduated  at  William  and  Mary  College,  and  soon  afterwards 
entered  the  law  school  of  that  institution,  where  he  remained 
until  the  fall  of  1811,  when  he  volunteered  his  services  as  a 


182  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    CROGHAN. 

private  in  the  campaign  up  the  Wabash.  A  short  time  before 
the  action  of  Tippecanoe,  lie  was  appointed  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Boyd,  the  second  in  command ;  and,  although  from 
his  situation,  he  was  not  enabled  to  evince  that  activity  which 
has  since  so  much  distinguished  him,  he  exhibited  a  soul 
undaunted  in  one  of  the  most  sanguinary  conflicts  of  that 
time,  and  accordingly  received  the  thanks  of  the  command- 
ing general.  In  consequence  of  his  services  on  the  Wabash 
expedition,  he  was  appointed  a  captain  in  the  provincial 
army,  directed  to  be  raised  and  organized  in  the  spring  of 
1812.  In  August  he  marched  with  the  detachment  from 
Kentucky,  under  General  Winchester,  destined  to  relieve 
General  Hull  in  Canada.  During  the  movements  of  that 
gallant  but  unfortunate  little  army,  the  caution,  zeal  and  mili- 
tary capacity  of  Captain  Croghan  were  conspicuous. 

Upon  visiting  the  various  encampments  of  the  army  on  its 
march  along  the  Miami  of  the  Lake,  both  before  and  after  the 
attack  on  Fort  Wayne,  the  ground  occupied  by  Captain 
Croghan  was  easily  designated  by  the  judicious  fortifications 
erected  for  the  night.  On  the  movement  of  the  army  towards 
the  Rapids,  he  was  entrusted  with  the  command  of  Fort  Win- 
chester, at  the  junction  of  the  Anglaize  and  Miami  rivers, 
where  he  adopted  his  usual  military  arrangements.  After 
the  defeat  at  the  river  Raisin,  he  joined  General  Harrison  at 
the  Rapids,  previous  to  the  erection  of  Fort  Meigs.  Gene- 
ral Harrison  has  often  expressed  the  great  confidence  he  had 
in  the  judicious  arrangements  of  Captain  Croghan,  during 
the  trying,  brilliant  and  ever  memorable  siege  of  Fort  Meigs. 

In  the  sortie  under  the  gallant  Colonel,  now  General  Miller, 
on  the  5th  of  May,  the  storming  of  the  British  batteries  was 
confided  to  the  companies  led  by  Captains  Croghan,  Langhan 
and  Bradford.  These  batteries  were  defended  by  a  regular 
force  and  a  body  of  Indians,  either  of  them  superior  in  number 


LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    CROGHAN.  183 

to  the  assailants.  Here  Captain  Croghan's  gallantry  was  again 
noticed  in  general  orders.  At  a  critical  period  in  the  cam- 
paign of  1813,  Captain  Croghan  was  promoted  to  a  majority, 
and  appointed  to  the  command  of  Fort  Sandusky,  at  Lower 
Sandusky. 

On  his  conduct  in  the  defence  of  that  post,  the  official 
documents  of  the  time,  and  the  applause  of  a  grateful  country, 
are  the  most  honorable  commentary.  The  defence  of  the 
fort  of  Sandusky  took  place  on  the  4th  of  August,  1813,  and 
although  the  work  of  a  few  hours,  and  of  a  small  force,  was 
an  achievement  brilliant  in  itself  and  important  in  its  conse- 
quences. However  diminutive  it  may  appear,  when  com- 
pared with  many  of  the  military  feats  in  the  revolutionary 
war,  it  is  justly  entitled  to  a  distinguished  place  in  the  annals 
of  our  country.  It  was  among  the  first  events  of  the  last  war 
that  gave  confidence  to  our  soldiers,  and  compelled  the  enemy 
to  respect  our  arms.  It  furnished,  moreover,  a  memorable 
instance  of  what  a  few  bold  and  determined  spirits  can  per- 
form, when  opposed  even  to  more  than  fourfold  their  number. 
It  is  not  too  much  to  add,  that,  under  Providence,  it  was 
highly  instrumental  in  preserving  from  the  tomahawk  and 
the  scalping-knife,  many  of  our  defenceless  frontier  inhabit- 
ants. 

The  inclosure  of  Fort  Sandusky,  like  that  of  most  fortresses 
that  are  suddenly  erected  in  our  new  settlements,  was  com- 
posed of  picket-work,  and  surrounded  by  a  ditch  nine  feet 
wide  and  six  deep.  The  number  of  its  defenders,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel,  then  Major  Croghan,  amount- 
ed to  about  one  hundred  and  sixty,  most  of  them  raw,  unex- 
perienced troops.  It  contained  but  a  single  piece  of  mounted 
ordnance,  and  that  only  a  six  pounder. 

The  assailing  force  consisted  of  nearly  a  thousand  men, 
one-half  of  them  British  regulars,  commanded  by  General 


184  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    CROGHAN. 

Proctor  in  person,  and  the  remainder  savages,  led  on,  as  we 
believe,  by  the  celebrated  Tecumseh.  Their  means  of  an- 
noyance,  besides  small  arms,  were  five  six  pounders,  and  one 
howitzer  of  considerable  calibre.  The  fort  was  regularly 
summoned  to  surrender,  under  the  usual  plea  of  a  wish  to 
prevent  the  effusion  of  blood.  To  give  to  this  message  the 
greater  weight,  the  force  of  the  assailants  was  somewhat  ex- 
aggerated, and  it  was  added  that,  should  the  works  be  carried 
by  assault,  it  would  be  impossible  to  restrain  the  savages  from 
massacre.  Undismayed  by  the  odds  that  were  against  him, 
and  the  unsoldierly  threat,  that,  should  the  enemy  be  success- 
ful, he  would  receive  no  quarter,  Colonel  Croghan  unhesitat- 
ingly returned  the  customary  answer,  that  he  would  defend 
his  post  "to  the  last  extremity." 

This  conference  being  ended,  the  British  regulars,  led  on 
by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Short,  an  officer  of  high  character  and 
daring  courage,  advanced  to  the  assault  in  a  soHd  column, 
under  the  discharge  of  all  their  artillery.  Notwithstanding  a 
galling  fire  from  the  small  arms  of  the  fort,  the  assailants  ap- 
proached with  firmness  and  gallantry,  till,  following  the  ex- 
ample of  their  intrepid  leader,  a  large  portion  of  them  had 
leapt  into  the  ditch.  At  this  moment,  when  the  enemy  were 
completely  within  the  toil  he  had  prepared  for  them.  Major 
Croghan  unmasked  his  piece  of  cannon,  which  had  been 
hitherto  concealed,  and  poured  among  them  a  discharge  of 
grape-shot  which  raked  the  ditch  with  terrible  carnage.  In 
the  number  of  those  who  fell  under  this  first  and  most  destruc- 
tive fire,  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  Short.  Another  discharge 
or  two  from  this  piece  of  ordnance  carried  confusion  into  the 
British  ranks,  and  forced  them  to  retreat  with  the  utmost  pre- 
cipitation ;  nor  had  they  sufficient  hardihood  to  return  the 
charge.  Panic-struck  by  this  disaster  of  their  allies,  the 
savages  also  fled  in  all  directions,  leaving  our  countrymen  in 


LIEUTENANT-COLONEL    CROGHAN.  185 

undisturbed  possession  of  their  well-defended  fortress.  The 
combined  loss  of  the  British  and  Indians  in  this  affair,  was 
computed  at  somewhat  upwards  of  a  hundred  men ;  that  of 
the  Americans  was  one  man  killed  and  seven  slightly  wounded. 
Such  was  the  dismay  created  among  the  enemy  by  this 
signal  and  unexpected  chastisement,  that  they  precipitately 
abandoned  their  position,  leaving  behind  them  a  large  boat 
loaded  with  clothing  and  military  stores.  In  consequence  of 
the  gallantry  of  this  achievement,  and  the  important  eifects  of 
which  it  was  productive,  the  brave  Croghan,  as  yet  but  a 
major,  besides  being  honorably  mentioned  in  Congress,  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel.  An  affair  of  such 
brilliancy,  achieved  under  such  circumstances,  could  not  fail 
to  endear  him  to  his  country,  and  to  exalt  his  name  in  the 
ranks  of  honor.  Some  years  since  Congress  voted  to  Colonel 
Croghan  a  gold  medal.     {See  Plate  VIII.) 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Defence  of  Fort  Sandusky,  2d  August,  1813. 

Device. — Bust  of  Colonel  Croghan. 

Legend.  —  Presented  by  Congress  to  Colonel  George 
Croghan,  1835. 

Reverse. — The  fort  of  Sandusky,  with  the  enemy  arrayed 
in  front;  American  flag  flying  on  the  tower;  columns  of 
smoke  from  the  fort,  &c. 

Legend. — Pars  magna  fuit. 

Exergue. — Sandusky,  2d  August,  1813. 


24 


PAUL    JONES. 


John  Paul  Jones  was  born  on  the  6tli  of  July,  1747,  at 
Arbigland,  in  the  parish  of  Kirkbean,  Scotland. 

The  residence  of  his  father  was  near  the  shores  of  the  Sol- 
way,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  picturesque  points  of  the 
Frith,  w^here  our  young  hero  passed  his  hours  of  pastime  in 
launching  his  "tiny  bark"  on  the  waters,  and  issuing  to  his 
supposed  officers  and  crew  his  naval  commands.  At  the  age 
of  twelve  years,  having  made  known  his  determination  to  lead 
a  seafaring  life,  it  was  deemed  proper  to  yield  to  it  by  his  reluc- 
tant parents.  Accordingly,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  merchant 
at  Whitehaven,  on  the  opposite  side  of  Solway  Frith,  in  the 
American  trade. 

He  made  his  first  voyage  before  he  was  thirteen,  in  the  ship 
Friendship  of  Whitehaven,  bound  for  the  Rappahannock.  His 
elder  brother,  William,  had  married  and  settled  at  Fredericks- 
burg, in  Virginia,  where  Jones  found  a  happy  home  during 
his  stay  in  America. 

Although  his  first  visit  was  of  but  short  duration,  he  ap- 
pears to  have  become  greatly  prepossessed  in  favor  of  Ame- 


PAUL    JONES.  187 

rica.  These  feelings  he  fostered  under  circumstances  which 
made  them  keen  and  enduring,  being  so  intimately  connected 
with  his  first  impressions  of  a  naval  life.  His  master,  finding 
his  affairs  embarrassed,  was  induced  to  cancel  the  indentures 
of  Jones,  who  now  found  himself  at  liberty  to  think  and  act 
as  he  pleased ;  but  his  fixed  determination  was  the  sea.  He 
fortunately  obtained  the  appointment  of  third  mate  of  the 
ship  King  George,  of  Whitehaven,  a  vessel  engaged  in  the 
slave  trade.  After  making  one  voyage,  he  shipped  as  chief 
mate  on  board  the  brigantine  Two  Friends,  of  Kingston, 
Jamaica,  engaged  in  the  same  traffic. 

We  have  reason  to  believe  that,  after  his  second  voyage 
in  this  brutalizing  and  unmanly  traffic,  he  became  disgusted 
and  took  a  passage  from  the  West  Indies  to  Scotland  in  the 
John,  of  Kirkcudbright. 

The  slave  trade  was  then  tolerated  by  Great  Britain,  and 
the  cruel  and  infamous  manner  in  which  its  unfortunate  vic- 
tims were  treated,  evidently  exercised  a  strong  influence  upon 
the  mind  of  the  inexperienced  young  seaman,  and  it  probably 
tended,  in  after  life,  to  make  him  inconsiderate  of  justice  as 
well  as  regardless  of  the  sufferings  of  others.  Nevertheless, 
it  is  fair  to  infer,  that  the  exhibition  of  these  horrors,  at  which 
his  feelings  revolted,  strengthened  his  love  for  that  liberty  for 
which  he  afterwards  fought,  and  for  that  land  which  knew 
how  to  vindicate  the  cause  of  liberty.  On  the  passage  to 
Scotland,  in  the  John,  the  master  and  mate  both  died  of  the 
yellow  fever,  and  Jones  took  the  command  of  the  vessel,  and 
brought  her  safely  into  port.  For  this  service  the  owners 
placed  him  on  board  the  same  vessel  as  master  and  super- 
cargo. He  then  made  two  prosperous  voyages  to  the  West 
Indies,  at  the  end  of  which,  he  was  honorably  discharged  on 
account  of  the  dissolution  of  the  firm  to  which  the  vessel 


188  PAUL    JONES. 

belonged.  At  this  period  tiie  trade  to  the  Isle  of  Man  was 
principally  contraband,  and  offered  great  facilities  for  making 
money.  Our  adventurous  young  hero,  now  in  his  twenty-third 
year,  active,  ambitious  and  self-confident,  ready  to  steer  his 
way  through  life  as  circumstances  might  serve,  earnestly 
embarked  in  this  trade,  which,  by  a  large  portion  of  society 
was  held  not  to  be  criminal,  but  simply  illegal.  After  having 
been  engaged  in  this  trade  for  some  time,  in  1773  he  was 
called  to  Virginia  at  the  death  of  his  brother  William,  who 
died  without  heirs.  Jones  took  possession  of  the  property, 
formally  abandoned  the  sea,  and  declared  his  intention  of  de- 
voting himself  to  agriculture.  This  intention  he  really  com- 
menced to  carry  into  effect,  but  the  quiet  domestic  life  of  the 
planter  soon  became  irksome ;  and  when  the  American  Revo- 
lution broke  out,  his  liberty-loving,  and  chivalric  soul  could 
no  longer  bear  the  ignoble  life  of  a  farmer,  and  he  eagerly 
embraced  the  cause  of  the  rebellious  provinces.  He  immedi- 
ately offered  his  services  to  Congress;  they  were  accepted, 
and  he  received  a  commission  in  the  navy  as  lieutenant. 

No  man  appeared  better  qualified  for  the  part  he  had  to 
perform.  Nature  had  made  him  a  hero,  and  circumstances 
had  prepared  him  to  command  men,  as  well  as  to  give 
direction  to  the  development  of  their  energies;  and  these 
qualifications  united  with  a  brave  heart  and  chivalrous  spirit, 
rendered  him  able  to  vindicate  the  rights,  which  he  knew  so 
well  how  to  assert. 

The  American  navy  at  this  time  consisted  of  the  following 
vessels : 

Guns.  Men. 

Alfred  30  300 

Columbus  28  300 

Andrew  Doria  16  200 


PAUL  JONES. 

Guns. 

Men. 

14 

200 

12 

150 

10 

120 

8 

100 

189 


Cabot 

Providence 

Hornet 

Wasp 

Fly,  dispatch  vessel. 
Jones,  w^ho  had  been  appointed  lieutenant  of  the  flag  ship, 
Alfred,  hoisted  with  his  own  hands  the  first  American  flag 
that  ever  w^aved  over  the  ocean.  He  does  not  give  the  date  of 
this  transaction,  but  his  commission  dates  7th  of  December, 
1775.  The  device  w^as  a  pine  tree,  with  a  rattlesnake  coiled 
at  its  root  in  the  act  of  striking.  This  was  the  national  in- 
signia until  1777,  when  the  present  standard  was  adopted. 
On  the  17th  of  February,  1776,  the  first  American  squadron 
sailed  for  the  West  Indies.  During  the  passage  they  cap- 
tured two  small  vessels,  and  made  preparations  for  the  capture 
of  the  island  of  New  Providence,  where  a  large  quantity  of 
stores  and  ammunition  was  deposited.  The  enterprise  suc- 
ceeded, the  island  was  captured,  the  governor  taken  prisoner ; 
also  a  hundred  cannon  and  a  large  quantity  of  stores  and  am- 
munition fell  into  their  hands. 

In  October,  1776,  when  the  grade  of  naval  captains  was 
established  by  Congress,  he  received  a  full  commission  as  one 
of  the  number. 

Having  now  acquired  the  entire  confidence  of  the  marine 
committee  of  Congress,  he  repaired  to  France  to  arrange 
some  naval  operations  with  the  American  commissioners.  His 
next  voyage  was  to  Whitehaven,  in  the  north  of  England, 
where,  with  a  few  men,  he  spiked  all  the  cannon  of  two  of 
the  forts,  the  sentinels  being  first  secured  in  their  own  guard- 
house. 

This  and  similar  rapacious  attacks,  he  justified  upon  the 
principle   of  retaliation   for  the   destruction  of  private  pro- 


190  PAUL    JONES. 

perty  by  the  British  troops  in  America.  Off  Carrickfergus, 
on  the  southern  coast  of  Scotland,  he  had  an  engagement 
with  the  British  sloop  of  war  Drake,  which,  after  a  severe  and 
close  action  of  an  hour,  he  captured  and  carried  in  triumph 
into  France.  The  day  only  before  this  action  occurred 
the  atrocious  act  at  St.  Mary's  Isle.  Thinking  that  the 
capture  of  the  Earl  of  Selkirk,  who  resided  at  Selkirk  Abbey, 
St.  Mary's  Isle,  might  enable  Congress  to  obtain  more  equal 
terms  in  the  exchange  of  prisoners,  his  object  was  to  seize  his 
lordship  and  detain  him  as  prisoner  on  board  the  Ranger, 
until  Congress  could  demand  a  suitable  exchange.  This,  how- 
ever, was  defeated  by  the  absence  of  his  lordship ;  and  the 
excuse  which  Jones  gave  for  entering  the  Abbey  and  bringing 
away  all  the  family  plate,  was,  that  his  men,  remembering  the 
scenes  of  devastation  occasioned  by  the  British  in  America, 
disregarded  all  restraints  of  wholesome  discipline,  and  acted 
at  their  own  discretion.  Jones,  in  a  communication  from 
Brest  to  the  countess,  informed  her  that  he  should  gratify 
himself  by  purchasing  the  plate  and  returning  it  uninjured, 
which  he  did,  and  received  a  formal  acknowledgment  from 
the  earl  upon  the  subject.  In  August,  1779,  Jones  first  sailed 
in  the  Bon  Homme  Richard,  with  six  other  vessels,  forming  a 
squadron  under  his  command. 

In  September,  1779,  he  fell  in  with  the  Serapis,  off  Flam- 
borough-head,  on  the  northeast  coast  of  England,  where  that 
celebrated  action  took  place,  in  view  of  hundreds  of  inhabit- 
ants of  the  neighboring  coast,  which  has  imparted  so  much 
renown  to  the  name  of  Jones.  The  Serapis  was  a  new  ship, 
of  forty-four  guns  and  a  picked  crew.  It  was  a  clear,  moon- 
light night,  about  seven  o'olock,  when  the  enemy  first  hailed 
Jones,  who  answered  with  a  whole  broadside.  The  action, 
which  lasted  several  hours,  raged  with  incessant  fury,  until 
the   enemy's  bowsprit   coming   over  the  poop   of  the   Bon 


PAUL    JONES.  191 

Homme  Richard,  by  the  mizenmast,  Jones,  with  his  own  hand, 
seized  the  ropes  from  the  enemy's  bowsprit,  and  made  them 
fast  to  his  own  ship.  The  Serapis  swung  round,  so  that  the 
ships  lay  square  alongside  of  each  other,  the  stern  of  the 
enemy  close  to  the  bow  of  the  Bon  Homme  Richard.  In 
this  desperate  situation  the  conflict  lasted  for  some  hours, 
each  fio-htinof  with  a  vigor  that  seemed  to  threaten  mutual 
extermination.  At  length,  about  half  past  ten  o'clock,  the 
enemy  struck  his  colors  and  surrendered.  Both  ships  were 
much  injured  in  the  contest ;  the  Bon  Homme  Richard  sunk 
the  day  after  the  battle.  Her  crew  was  transferred  to  the  Sera- 
pis,  and  sailed  for  the  Texel. 

On  his  arrival  in  France,  Jones  w^as  received  with  the  most 
flattering  attention  by  the  most  distinguished  persons  in  Paris. 
Louis  the  Sixteenth  presented  him  with  the  cross  of  military 
merit,  and  a  magnificent  gold  mounted  sword,  bearing  this 
inscription:  "Maris  Ludovicus  16  Remunerator  Strenuo  Vin- 
dici."  He  returned  to  America  in  the  ship  Ariel  of  twenty 
guns,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  three  years.  Congress  imme- 
diately adopted  the  following  resolutions  : — 

"  Resolved, — That  the  Congress  entertain  a  high  sense  of 
the  distinguished  bravery  and  military  conduct  of  John  Paul 
Jones,  Esq.,  captain  in  the  navy  of  the  United  States,  and 
particularly  in  his  victory  over  the  British  frigate  Serapis,  on 
the  coast  of  England,  which  was  attended  with  circumstances 
so  brilliant  as  to  excite  general  applause  and  admiration. 

"Resolved, — That  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate  VIII.)  be  struck 
and  presented  to  the  Chevalier  Paul  Jones,  in  commemoration 
of  the  valor  and  brilliant  services  of  that  officer  ;  and  that  the 
Hon.  Mr.  Jefferson,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  the  United 
States  at  the  court  of  Versailles,  have  the  same  executed  in 
France  with  proper  devices." 

Late  in  the  year  of  1787  he  returned  to  Europe  in  order  to 


192  PAUL    JONES. 

settle  some  disputes  relative  to  certain  prizes  which  had 
been  sent  into  Denmark ;  which,  after  much  trouble,  he  ac- 
complished to  the  satisfaction  of  his  government.  After  a 
year  of  ill  health,  he  died  at  Paris,  on  the  18th  of  July, 
1792,  aged  forty-five  years.  President  Washington  designated 
him  for  the  important  mission  to  treat  with  the  Dey  of  Algiers 
on  the  ransom  of  American  captives.  His  credentials  reached 
Paris  the  day  after  his  death. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  English  frigate  Serapis,  Cap- 
tain Pearson,  by  the  Bon  Homme  Richard,  Captain  John 
Paul  Jones. 

Device. — Head  of  John  Paul  Jones. 

Legend.' — Joanni  Paulo  Jones  classis  prefecto  comitia 
Americana. 

Reverse. — Two  frigates  engaged  yard-arm  and  yard-arm  ; 
the  English  ship  severely  battered  in  the  sides.  Another  ship 
lying  across  the  bow  of  the  British  frigate. 

Legend. — Hostium  navibus  captis  aut  frigatis. 

Exergue. — Ad  nam  Scotise,  23d  September,  1778. 


I'latcf). 


i'iak-,!). 


CAPT.    THOMAS    TRUXTUN. 


The  subject  of  the  following  memoir,  whose  achievements 
shed  a  lustre  on  the  infant  navy  of  his  country,  was  the  son 
of  an  eminent  English  barrister  of  the  state  (then  colony)  of 
New  York,  and  was  born  at  Long  Island^  on  the  7th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1755.  Our  hero,  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  his 
father,  was  placed  under  the  guardianship  of  his  intimate 
friend,  John  Troup,  Esq.,  of  Jamaica,  on  Long  Island.  In  a 
short  time,  however,  the  kindling  spark  of  that  spirit,  which 
has  since  shone  so  conspicuously  in  his  character,  led  him  to 
the  sea.  At  the  early  age  of  twelve  years,  he  embarked,  on  his 
trial  voyage,  in  the  ship  Pitt,  Captain  Joseph  Holmes,  bound 
to  Bristol,  England.  In  the  following  year  he  was  placed,  at 
his  own  request,  under  the  direction  of  Captain  James  Cham- 
bers, a  celebrated  commander  in  the  London  trade.  During 
his  apprenticeship,  when  the  armament,  in  consequence  of  the 
dispute  respecting  the  Falkland  Islands,  took  place,  he  was  im- 
pressed on  board  the  Prudent,  an  English  man-of-war  of  sixty- 
four  guns ;  but  was  afterwards  released  through  the  application 
of  a  person  in  authority.  "While  on  board  the  Prudent,  the  Cap- 
25 


194  CAPTAIN    TH0:\IAS    TRUXTUX. 

tain,  pleased  with  his  intelHgence  and  activity,  endeavored  to 
prevail  on  him  to  remain  in  the  service,  and  assured  him  that 
all  his  interest  should  be  used  for  his  promotion ;  but  notwith- 
standing the  prospects  thus  opened  to  his  youthful  and  aspiring 
mind,  he  left  the  Prudent,  and  returned  to  his  old  ship.  He 
conceived  that  his  engagements  with  his  former  commander 
would  not  permit  him  w^ith  honor  to  indulge  his  wishes. 
In  the  early  part  of  1775,  he  commanded  a  vessel,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  considerable  quantities  of  powder  into 
the  United  Colonies.  About  the  close  of  the  same  year, 
when  bound  to  St.  Eustatius,  he  was  seized  off  the  Island  of 
St.  Christopher  by  the  British  frigate  Argo,  and  detained 
until  the  general  restraining  bill  came  out,  when  his  vessel 
and  cargo,  of  which  he  owned  the  half,  were  condemned.  But 
wdiat  "ill  w4nd"  can  wreck  the  buoyant  mind  of  the  sailor? 
He  made  his  way  from  St.  Christopher's  to  St.  Eustatius,  and 
thence  embarking  in  a  small  vessel,  after  a  short  passage, 
arrived  in  Philadelphia.  At  this  period  the  two  first  private 
ships  of  war  fitted  out  in  the  colonies,  called  the  Congress 
and  Chance,  were  equipping  for  sea,  and  he  entered  on  board 
the  former  as  lieutenant.  They  sailed  in  company  early  in 
the  winter  of  1776,  and  proceeded  off  the  Havana,  where 
they  captured  several  valuable  Jamaica  ships,  bound  home 
through  the  Gulf  of  Florida.  Of  one  of  these  he  took  the 
command,  and  brought  her  safe  into  New  Bedford.  In  June, 
1777,  in  company  with  -  Isaac  Sears,  Esq.,  he  fitted  out,  at 
New  York,  a  vessel  called  the  Independence.  Of  this  he 
took  the  command,  and  passing  through  the  Sound,  (Lord 
Howe  having  arrived  with  the  British  fleet  at  Sandy  Hook 
and  blocked  up  that  outlet,)  he  proceeded  off  the  Azores, 
where,  besides  making  sQveral  other  prizes,  he  fell  in  with 
a  part  of  the  Windward  Island  convoy,  and  captured  three 
large  and  valuable  ships.  One  of  these  w^as  much  supe- 
rior to  the  Independence  in  both  guns  and  men.     On  his 


CArTAlN    THOIMAS   TRUXTUN.  195 

return,  lie  fitted  out  the  ship  Mars,  mounting  upwards  of 
twenty  guns,  in  which  he  sailed  on  a  cruise  in  the  English 
Channel.  Some  of  his  prizes,  which  were  numerous,  he  sent 
into  Qniberon  Bay.  The  success  of  this  cruise  was,  in  a  great 
measure,  the  cause  of  Lord  Stormont's  remonstrance  to  the 
French  court,  against  the  admission  into  her  ports  of  our  armed 
A-essels  and  the  prizes  which  had  been  taken  by  them. 

He  commanded,  and  in  part  owned,  during  the  rest  of  the 
war,  several  of  the  most  important  armed  vessels  built  in 
Philadelphia;  and  brought  in  from  France  and  the  West 
India  Islands,  large  cargoes  of  those  articles,  which,  during 
the  Revolution,  our  army  most  greatly  needed.  While  carry- 
ing out  to  France  Thomas  Barclay,  Esq.,  our  consul-general 
to  that  country,  he  had  a  very  close  and  severe  engagement 
with  a  British  ship-of-war  of  thirty -two  guns,  (double  his  own 
force,)  which  he  obliged  to  sheer  off;  and  she  was  afterwards 
towed  into  New^  York  by  one  of  the  king's  ships,  in  a  very 
dismantled  condition.  The  ship  under  his  command  was 
called  the  St.  James,  and  mounted  twenty  guns,  with  a  crew 
of  about  one  hundred  men — not  half  the  number  on  board 
his  enemy.  From  this  voyage  he  returned  with  the  most 
valuable  cargo  brought  into  the  United  States  during  the  war. 
It  would  be  impossible,  within  the  limits  of  this  memoir,  to 
recount  the  various  instances  of  activity  and  zeal  displayed 
by  this  gallant  officer  during  our  struggle  for  independence ; 
but  in  all  his  actions  with  British  vessels  of  war,  many  of 
which  were  of  force  greatly  superior  to  his  own,  he  was  inva- 
riably victorious. 

After  the  peace  of  17S3,  at  the  commencement  of  our  naval 
establishment,  he  was  one  of  the  six  captains  selected  by 
President  Washington.  The  frigate  Constellation,  of  thirty- 
six  guns,  which  he  was  appointed  to  command,  was  built 
under  his  superintendence  at  Baltimore.  She  was  tlie  first 
of  the  required  armament  that  put  to  sea. 


196  CAPTAIN    THOMAS    TRUXTUN. 

Appointed,  with  a  squadron  under  his  command,  to  the 
protection  of  American  commerce  in  the  West  Indies,  Captain 
Truxtun  had  an  arduous  duty  to  perform,  at  a  time  when  our 
navy  was  scarcely  yet  organized  ;  but  every  difficulty  yielded 
to  the  excellence  of  that  discipline  for  which  he  was  ever 
celebrated.  On  this  station,  by  his  indefatigable  vigilance, 
the  property  of  our  merchants  was  protected  in  the  most 
effectual  manner,  and  an  enemy's  privateer  could  scarcely 
look  out  of  port  without  being  captured. 

At  noon,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1799,  the  Island  of  Nevis 
bearing  W.  S.  W.,  five  leagues  distant,  the  Constellation 
being  then  alone,  a  large  ship  was  seen  to  the  southward, 
upon  which  Captain  Truxtun  immediately  bore  down.  On 
his  hoisting  the  American  ensign,  the  strange  sail  showed 
French  colors  and  fired  a  gun  to  windward,  (the  signal  of  an 
enemy.)  At  a  quarter  past  three  o'clock,  P.  M.,  the  captain 
was  hailed  by  the  French  commander,  and  the  Constellation, 
ranging  along  side  of  the  enemy's  frigate,  who  had  declared  her- 
self to  be  such  by  firing  a  gun  to  windward,  poured  in  a  close 
and  extremely  well-directed  broadside.  This  was  instantly 
returned  by  her  antagonist,  who,  after  a  very  warm  engage- 
ment of  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  hauled  down  her  colors,  and 
proved  to  be  L'Insurgente,  of  forty  guns  and  four  hundred 
and  seventeen  men ;  twenty -nine  of  whom  were  killed  and 
forty-four  wounded.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain  Bar- 
reau,  a  distinguished  officer,  who  did  not  strike  his  colors 
until  his  ship  was  a  perfect  wreck.  The  Constellation  had 
only  one  man  killed  and  two  wounded. 

A  stronger  instance  of  the  strict  and  exemplary  discipline 
preserved  on  board  the  Constellation,  cannot  be  given  than 
this  disparity  of  loss  in  the  two  ships ;  and  yet,  during  the 
whole  time  that  Captain  Truxtun  commanded,  but  one  man 
was  chastised  for  disorderly  conduct.  Scarce  a  man  in  his 
crew  had  ever  been  in  action  before.     The  prize  was  taken 


CAPTAIN    THOMAS    TRUXTUN.  197 

into  Basseterre,  St.  Christopher's,  and  after  being  refitted, 
added  to  the  American  navy.  This  was  tiie  first  opportunity 
that  had  offered  to  an  American  frigate  of  engaging  an  enemy 
of  superior  force,  and  the  gallantry  displayed  by  Captain 
Truxtun  was  highly  applauded,  not  only  by  his  own  couniry- 
men,  but  by  foreigners.  He  received  congratulatory  addresses 
from  all  quarters,  and  the  merchants  of  Lloyd's  Coffee-house, 
London,  sent  him  a  present  of  plate,  wortii  upwards  of  six 
hundred  guineas,  with  the  action  between  the  frigates  ele- 
gantly engraved  on  it.  It  is  a  relief  to  the  liorrors  of  war, 
to  see  those  whom  the  collisions  of  their  countries  have  placed 
in  hostile  array,  treat  eacii  other,  when  the  battle  is  over,  wath 
all  the  urbanity  of  accomplished  cavaliers.  Captain  Barreau, 
in  a  letter  to  Captain  Truxtun,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
translation,  says,  "  I  am  sorry  that  our  two  nations  are  at  war, 
but  since  I  unfortunately  have  been  vanquished,  I  felicitate 
myself  and  crew  upon  being  prisoners  to  you.  You  have 
united  all  the  qualities  which  characterize  a  man  of  honor, 
courage,  and  humanity.  Receive  from  me  the  most  sincere 
thanks,  and  be  assured,  I  shall  make  it  a  duty  to  publish  to 
all  my  fellows-countrymen  the  generous  conduct  wiiich  you 
have  observed  towards  us."  The  Constellation,  in  a  short 
time,  put  to  sea  again;  and  France  saw  the  West  Indies 
cleared  of  her  bucaniers  by  our  infant  navy  on  the  station. 
While  the  different  ships  belonging  to  it,  were  cruising  sepa- 
rately, so  as  best  to  give  protection  to  our  merchant  vessels, 
Captain  Truxtun,  hearing  that  La  Vengeance,  a  large  French 
national  ship  of  fifty-four  guns,  with  upwards  of  five  hundred 
men,  including  several  general  officers  and  troops  on  board, 
was  lying  at  Gaudaloupe,  proceeded  in  January,  1800,  off  tiiat 
port,  determined,  if  possible,  notwithstanding  the  superiority 
of  her  force,  to  bring  her  into  action,  should  she  put  to  sea.  On 
the  1st  of  February,  at  half-past  seven,  A.  M.,  in  the  road  of 
Basseterre,  Gaudaloupe,  bearing  E.  five  leagues  distant,  he 


198  CAF'TAIN    THOMAS    TRUXTUN. 

discovered  a  sail  in  the  S.  E.  standing  to  the  westward,  which 
soon  proved  to  be  the  long-sought  La  Vengeance. 

The  French  commander,  one  would  suppose,  could  have 
had  no  hesitation  in  engaging  an  enemy  so  inferior  in  guns 
and  men  as  the  Constellation ;  but  this  did  no^  prove  to  be 
the  case,  for  he  crow^ded  all  sail  to  avoid  his  foe,  and  it  was  not 
till  after  a  most  persevering  chase  for  upw^ards  of  tw^elve  hours 
that  the  Constellation  brought  him  to  action. 

The  engagement  began  by  a  fire  from  the  stern  and  quar- 
ter-deck guns  of  the  French  ship,  which  w^as  returned  in  a 
few  minutes  afterw^ards,  by  a  broadside  from  the  Constellation, 
that  had  by  this  time  got  upon  the  w^eather  quarter  of  her  an- 
tagonist, and  a  close  and  desperate  action  commenced,  wdiich 
lasted  from  8  P.  M.,  until  within  a  few  minutes  of  1  A.  M., 
when  the  fire  of  La  Vengeance  was  completely  silenced.  At 
this  moment,  when  the  American  commander  considered  him- 
self sure  of  his  prize,  and  was  endeavoring  to  secure  his  main- 
mast, which  had  been  very  much  injured,  he  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  see  it  go  by  the  board.  A  heavy  squall  coming  on  at  the 
same  time,  before  the  Constellation  could  be  completely  cleared 
of  the  wreck,  the  French  ship  was  enabled  to  effect  her  escape. 
Indeed,  so  sudden  was  her  disappearance  in  the  squall,  that 
she  was  supposed  by  all  on  board  the  Constellation  to  have 
sunk.  Nevertheless,  it  appeared  that  five  days  after  the  action 
she  got  into  Curracoa,  in  almost  a  shattered  condition,  having 
had  one  hundred  and  sixty  men  killed  and  wounded,  and  nearly 
all  her  masts  and  rigging  shot  away. 

It  had  required  all  hands  at  the  pumps  for  several  days,  to 
keep  her  from  foundering. 

Her  captain  had  the  candor  to  acknowledge  that  he  had 
twice  struck  his  colors,  but  owing  to  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
this  was  not  perceived  on  board  the  Constellation,  and  he, 
finding  that  her  fire  continued,  and  concluding  that  it  was  the 
determination  of  his  enemy  to  sink  him,  renewed  the  combat 


CAPTAIN    THOMAS    TRUXTUN.  199 

from  necessity.  AVhen  her  mast  went  overboard,  he  took  the 
advantage  of  the  accident,  and  got  off.  In  this  engagement, 
the  Constellation  had  fourteen  men  killed  and  twenty-five 
wounded. 

Among  the  former  was  Midshipman  Jarvis,  a  yoimg  man 
of  great  promise,  who  commanded  in  the  maintop.  When 
told  by  one  of  the  old  seamen  of  the  danger  of  the  mast  fall- 
ing, and  requested,  with  his  men,  to  come  down,  he  replied 
that  if  it  went,  they  must  go  with  it.  In  a  few  minutes  after 
it  went  over,  and  but  one  of  the  topmen  was  saved.  For  the 
signal  gallantry  displayed  in  this  action.  Congress  passed  the 
following  resolution. 

''Resolved,  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled, 
That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  to 
present  to  Captain  Thomas  Truxtun  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate 
IX,)  emblematical  of  the  late  action  between  the  United 
States  frigate  Constellation,  of  thirty-eight  guns,  and  the 
French  ship-of-war  La  Vengeance,  of  fifty-four  guns,  in 
testimony  of  the  high  sense  entertained  by  Congress  of  his 
gallantry  and  good  conduct  in  the  above  engagement,  wherein 
an  example  was  exhibited  by  the  captain,  officers,  sailors,  and 
marines,  honorable  to  the  American  name,  and  instructive  to 
its  rising  navy."  Theodore  Sedgwick, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Thomas  Jefferson, 

Vice  President  of  the  United  Slates. 

John  Adams, 

Approved,  March  29lh,  1800.  President  of  the  United  Stales. 

Captain  Truxtun  still  continued  to  serve  his  country  with 
all  the  ardor  of  his  temperament,  and  devoted  all  the  enero-ies 
of  his  character  to  the  promotion  of  her  glory.  In  the  beo-in- 
ning  of  1802,  he  was  ordered  to  take  the  command  of  a  squad- 


200  CAPTAIN    THOMAS    TRUXTUN. 

roil  destined  for  the  Mediterranean ;  he  immediately  proceeded 
to  Norfolk,  where  the  frigate  Chesapeake  then  was,  and  made 
every  preparation  for  the  duty  assigned  to  him. 

It  appears  that  it  was  customary  in  the  navy  for  command- 
ing officers  of  squadrons,  to  have  assigned  to .  them  during 
their  command,  an  officer  who,  being  entrusted  with  the  charge 
of  the  flag  ship,  could  relieve  the  commander-in-chief  of  this 
trust,  and  thereby  enable  him  to  have  more  leisure  to  devote 
to  the  important  duties  of  his  station.  This  additional  officer 
was  deemed  necessary  by  Captain  Truxtun,  and  claimed  by 
him  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy.  A  correspondence  ensued, 
the  sequel  of  which  was  that  Captain  Truxtun  wrote  to  the 
secretary,  informing  him  that  "  the  task  for  the  intended  ser- 
vice would  be  too  severe  without  some  aid,  and  if  that  aid 
could  not  be  rendered,  he  must  beg  leave  to  quit  the  service," 
(meaning  the  intended  service  in  the  Mediterranean.)  In  the 
conclusion  of  his  letter,  after  recommending  some  particular 
business  to  be  attended  to,  he  observes  "if  I  do  not  proceed 
on  the  expedition." 

Contrary  to  his  intentions  and  to  his  just  expectations, 
Robert  Smith,  then  secretary  of  the  navy  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Thomas  Jefferson,  chose  to  construe  this  letter  into 
a  resignation  of  his  commission  as  a  captain  in  the  navy ;  and 
notwithstanding  every  honorable  effort  that  was  then  made  to 
restore  him  to  his  just  rights,  the  administration  of  that  day 
sacrificed  at  one  blow  the  man  who  had  shed  such  lustre  upon 
the  infant  navy  of  our  country,  but  who  had  the  misfortune 
to  belong  to  a  different  political  school  from  those  who  then 
wielded  the  destinies  of  America. 

Thus  at  the  early  age  of  forty-seven  years,  in  the  prime  of 
manhood,  at  a  period  when  his  former  life  gave  promise  of 
much  future  usefulness,  after  many  years'  devotion  to  the  navy 
in  which  he  fondly  hoped  to  close  his  existence,  was  the  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir  suddenly  cut  short  in  that  career  in  which 


CAPTAIN   THOMAS    TRUXTUN.  201 

he  had  won  unfading  laurels,  both  for  his  country  and  him- 
self. 

He  immediately  retired  to  his  farm,  and  like  another  Cincin- 
natus,  sought  in  the  enjoyment  of  domestic  happiness  a  solace 
to  the  injustice  he  had  met  in  public  life.  For  many  years  he 
continued  a  citizen  of  New  Jersey,  but  towards  the  latter  part 
of  his  life,  he  was  induced  by  the  claims  of  his  family,  to  re- 
sume his  residence  in  Philadelphia,  where  his  fellow-citizens 
welcomed  his  return  in  the  most  grateful  manner,  and  as  an 
appreciation  of  his  services,  spontaneously  tendered  him  the 
important  office  of  high  sheriff  of  the  city  and  county  of  Phila- 
delphia, to  which  he  was  elected  in  the  year  1816,  by  a  very 
large  majority.  Soon  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office 
in  1819,  his  health  began  to  decline,  until  finally  in  May, 
1822,  he  closed  his  earthly  pilgrimage. 

Commodore  Truxtun  has  left  several  children,  but  neither 
of  his  sons  now  survives.  The  only  grandchild  bearing  his 
name,  is  a  midshipman  in  the  navy.  The  same  service  also 
numbers  three  other  grandsons,  one  of  whom,  Edward  F. 
Beale,  has  recently  proved,  by  his  gallant  conduct  under  Com- 
modore Stockton,  that  he  inherits  the  blood  of  his  illustrious 
grandsire. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  French  frigate  La  Vengeance. 

Device. — Head  of  Captain  Truxtun. 

Legend. — Patriae  patris  filio  digno  Thoma3  Truxtun. 

Reverse.' — Two  ships  of  war,  the  French  a  two  decker  ; 
both  much  shattered;  the  rigging  of  both  much  cut  up. 

Legend. — The  United  States  frigate  Consellation,  of  thirty- 
eight  guns,  pursues,  attacks,  and  vanquishes  the  French  ship 
La  Vengeance,  of  fifty-four  guns,  1st  of  Feb.  1800. 
26 


COM.    EDWARD    PREBLE. 


The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  born  in  the  ancient  town 
of  Falmouth,  now  Portland,  Maine,  August  15th,  1761.  He 
was  the  son  of  the  Hon.  Jedediah  Preble,  a  member  of  the 
council  and  senate,  who  died  in  1783,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  seventy-seven. 

Edward  Preble  exhibited  from  early  childhood  a  firm  and 
resolute  temper,  and  a  love  for  adventurous  and  chivalrous 
feats.  While  quite  young  he  shov^^ed  a  predilection  for  a  sea- 
faring life,  and  although  his  father  was  much  opposed  to  his 
choice,  he  thought  it  unwise  to  thwart  him ;  and  therefore 
placed  him  on  board  a  ship  bound  for  Europe,  in  which  he 
made  his  first  voyage.  In  1779  Preble  became  midshipman, 
in  the  state  ship  Protector,  of  twenty-six  guns,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Williams. 

The  Protector,  on  her  first  cruise,  had  a  sharp  engagement 
w^ith  a  British  frigate  of  thirty-six  guns,  on  the  coast  of  New- 
foundland, and  so  disabled  her  that  she  was  obliged  to  strike. 
She  blew  up  in  a  few  minutes  afterwards. 

The  second  cruise  of  the  Protector  was  less  fortunate ;  she 
was  captured  by  a  British  frigate  and  sloop-of-war.     The  prin- 


COMMODORE    EDWARD    PREBLE.  203 

cipal  officers  were  taken  to  England,  but  young  Preble,  by 
the  influence  of  his  father,  obtained  his  release.  Captain 
Little,  who  was  second  in  command  in  the  Protector,  and  one 
of  the  prisoners  taken  to  England,  scaled  the  walls  of  his 
prison  at  Plymouth,  and  escaping  with  one  other  person, 
rowed  in  a  wherry  across  the  British  Channel,  and  landed  on 
the  coast  of  France ;  thence  took  passage  for  Boston ;  and 
took  the  command  of  the  sloop  of  war  Winthrop,  with  Preble 
as  his  first  lieutenant. 

Captain  Little  had  previously  captured  the  tender  of  a  brig, 
of  superior  force  to  his  own,  lying  in  the  Penobscot  river,  in 
Maine.  From  the  crew  he  gained  sufficient  information  to 
determine  him  to  take  her  by  surprise.  Accordingly  he  ran 
along  side  in  the  night,  having  dressed  forty  of  his  men  in 
white  frocks,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  enemy.  He  was 
hailed  by  the  brig,  supposing  him  to  be  the  tender,  with  '^  You 
will  run  us  aboard!"  ''Ay!"  shouted  Preble,  "I  am  coming 
aboard !"  and  he  immediately  jumped  into  the  vessel  with 
fourteen  of  his  men.  The  rapidity  of  the  vessel  was  such, 
that  it  prevented  the  remainder  from  following  them.  Little 
cried  out  to  his  lieutenant  to  know  if  he  would  not  have  more 
men;  "  No  !"  he  answered  with  great  coolness,  (expecting  to 
be  overheard  by  the  enemy,)  "we  have  more  than  we  want 
already;  we  stand  in  each  other's  way."  Those  of  the  Eng- 
lish crew  on  deck  immediately  leaped  overboard,  while  others 
did  so  from  the  cabin  windows,  swimming  for  the  shore, 
within  pistol-shot.  Preble  then  proceeded  to  the  cabin,  where 
he  found  the  officers  either  in  bed  or  just  rising.  He  informed 
them  they  were  his  prisoners,  that  the  brig  was  in  his  pos- 
session, and  any  resistance  would  be  fatal.  Supposing  them- 
selves captured  by  a  superior  force,  they  submitted,  without 
any  effi)rt  to  rescue  the  vessel.  The  captors  conveyed  their 
prize  to  Boston.     Our  hero  was  only  in  his  twentieth  year, 


204  COMMODORE    EDWARD    PREBLE. 

when  this  daring  act  took  place,  which  gave  striking  indica- 
tions of  the  intrepidity  and  courage  wiiich  afterw^ards  so  greatly 
distinguished  him. 

Lieutenant  Preble  remained  in  the  Winthrop  the  whole  of 
the  war.  That  vessel  is  acknowledged  to  have  rendered 
much  service  to  our  trade,  by  destroying  privateers  infesting 
our  eastern  waters. 

In  1798,  and  the  ensuing  year,  government  had  decided 
on  building  fifteen  frigates  and  twelve  other  vessels  of  w^ar. 
Preble  was  the  first  lieutenant  appointed,  and  in  the  winter 
of  1798  and  1799,  he  made  two  cruises  as  commander  of  the 
brig  Pickering.  The  next  year,  with  a  captain's  commis- 
sion, he  commanded  the  frigate  Essex  of  thirty -six  guns. 
In  January,  1800,  he  was  ordered  to  Batavia,  in  company 
with  the  frigate  Congress,  as  a  convoy  to  our  homeward  bound 
ships.  The  Congress  was  dismasted  and  obliged  to  return, 
while  Preble  took  under  his  own  convoy  fourteen  sail  of  mer- 
chantmen, valued  at  several  millions  of  dollars.  Soon  after- 
wards he  was  appointed  commander  of  the  Adams,  for  the 
Mediterranean ;  but  his  health  declining,  he  was  compelled  to 
withdraw  from  the  profession  until  1803.  His  government 
then  made  him  commodore  of  the  squadron  fitted  out  against 
the  Algerine  pirates  on  the  coast  of  Barbary.  The  brilliant 
career  of  this  gallant  officer,  in  negotiating  with  so  much 
ability,  not  only  redound  to  his  own  credit,  but  exalted 
the  character  of  the  American  navy  in  the  eyes  of  all  the 
world.  His  fleet  consisted  of  the  Constitution,  of  which  he 
was  commander,  also  the  frigate  Philadelphia,  and  several 
smaller  vessels.  The  memorable  bombardment  of  Tripoli  is 
familiar  to  all  readers  of  history,  having  been  so  often  re- 
corded by  able  historians.  Congress  voted  the  thanks  of  the 
nation,  and  an  elegant  gold  medal,  {See  Plate  IX,)  w^hich  were 
both  presented  by  the  President,  with  the  most  emphatic  ex- 


COMMODORE    EDWARD    TREBLE.  205 

pressions  of  esteem.  On  his  leaving  the  squadron^  the  officers 
presented  a  most  affectionate  and  interesting  address,  expres- 
sive of  their  devotion  and  attachment  to  him  as  their  com- 
mander, and  of  his  worth  as  a  citizen  and  Christian.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  of  1806,  Commodore  Preble  suffered 
severely  from  a  debility  of  the  digestive  organs.  Indulging  a 
hope  of  recovery,  he  bore  his  sufferings  with  that  fortitude 
which  had  marked  his  character  through  life,  until  the  25th 
of  August,  1807,  when  he  breathed  his  last. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — The  attack  on  Tripoli. 

Device. — Bust  of  Commodore  Preble. 

Legend. — Edwardo  Preble,  duci  strenuo  comitia  Ameri- 
cana. 

Reverse. — The  American  fleet  bombarding  the  town  and 
forts  of  Tripoli. 

Legend. — Vindici  commercii  Americani. 

Exergue. — Ante  Tripoli,  1804. 


CAPT.    ISAAC    HULL. 


Isaac  Hull  was  born  at  Derby,  in  the  state  of  Connecticut, 
about  ten  miles  distant  from  New  Haven,  in  1775.  Choos- 
ing the  sea  for  his  profession,  he  entered,  soon  after  leaving 
school,  on  board  a  merchant  vessel,  where  he  was  employed 
during  the  interval  which  occurred  between  the  peace  of 
1783  and  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities  anew  in  1798,  when 
it  became  the  policy  of  the  United  States  to  form  a  perma- 
nent marine.  He  was  immediately  appointed  a  lieutenant, 
without  passing  through  the  subordinate  grades ;  an  irregu- 
larity of  necessary  occurrence,  owing  to  the  absence  of  any 
class  of  men  educated  in  ships  of  war  from  which  to  make 
promotion.  In  May,  1800,  he  was  first  lieutenant  of  the 
frigate  Constitution,  under  Commodore  Talbot,  and  cut  out  a 
French  letter  of  marque  from  one  of  the  islands  of  St.  Do- 
mingo with  a  small  sloop.  This  gallant  act  took  place  at 
noon-day,  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man.  In  1804  he  com- 
manded the  brig  Argus,  and  particularly  distinguished  him- 
self at  the  storming  of  Tripoli  and  tlie  reduction  of  Derne. 
In  1812,  he  commanded  the  Constitution,  and  by  his  energy 


CAPTAIN    ISAAC    HULL.  207 

and  skill  as  a  seaman,  he  escaped  from  a  British  squadron 
under  Commander  Broke.  That  escape  is  faithfully  described 
by  Mr.  Cooper  in  his  Naval  History,  from  which  the  following 
remarks  are  quoted.  ''  Thus  terminated  a  chase  that  has  be- 
come historical  in  the  American  navy,  for  its  length,  closeness 
and  activity.  On  the  part  of  the  English  there  were  mani- 
fested much  perseverance  and  seamanship,  a  ready  imitation, 
and  a  strong  desire  to  get  along  side  of  their  enemy.  But  the 
glory  of  the  affair  was  carried  off  by  the  officers  and  people  of 
the  Constitution. 

"Throughout  all  the  trying  circumstances  of  this  arduous 
struggle,  this  noble  frigate,  which  had  so  lately  been  the  sneers 
of  the  English  critics,  maintained  the  high  character  of  a  man 
of  war.  Even  w^hen  pressed  upon  the  hardest,  nothing  was 
hurried,  confused,  or  slovenly,  but  the  utmost  steadiness,  or- 
der, and  discipline  reigned  in  the  ship.  A  cool,  discreet,  and 
gallant  commander  was  nobly  sustained  by  his  officers,  and 
there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  had  the  enemy  succeeded  in  get- 
ting any  one  of  the  frigates  fairly  under  the  fire  of  the  Ameri- 
can ship,  that  she  would  have  been  very  roughly  treated.  The 
escape  itself  is  not  so  much  a  matter  of  admiration,  as  the 
manner  in  which  it  w^as  effected.  A  little  water  was  pumped, 
it  is  true  ;  and  perhaps  this  was  necessary,  in  order  to  put  a 
vessel  fresh  from  port  on  a  level,  in  light  winds  and  calms, 
with  ships  that  had  been  cruising  some  time ;  but  not  an 
anchor  w^as  cut  away,  not  a  boat  stove,  not  a  gun  lost.  The 
steady  and  man-of-war-like  style  in  wdiich  the  Constitution 
took  in  all  her  boats  as  occasions  offered ;  the  order  and 
rapidity  with  which  she  hedged,  and  the  vigilant  seamanship 
with  which  she  was  braced  up  and  eased  off,  extorted  admi- 
ration from  the  more  liberal  of  her  pursuers.  In  this  affair, 
the  ship,  no  less  than  those  who  worked  her,  gained  a  high 
reputation,  if  not  with  the  world  generally,  at  least  with  those 


208  CAPTAIN    ISAAC    HULL. 

who,  perhaps,  as  seldom  err  in  their  nautical  criticism  as  any 
people  living."  Not  long  after  this  affair.  Captain  Hull  met 
the  British  frigate  Guerriere,  and,  to  the  surprise  of  the  whole 
world,  conquered  her.  That  fight  was  of  more  importance  to 
America  than  all  the  subsequent  victories,  because  it  demon- 
strated that  the  notion  of  the  British  navy  being  invincible 
on  the  seas  was  incorrect.  Commodore  Hull  was  the  man 
that  showed  that  an  American  frigate  was  equal  to  a  frigate  of 
any  other  nation.  The  following  is  Mr.  Cooper's  description 
of  that  most  important  and  eventful  action  : — 

"  The  Constitution  next  stood  to  the  southward,  and  on  the 
19th,  at  two  P.  M.,  in  lat.  41  deo^.  41  min.,  long-.  55  deg.  48 
min.,  a  sail  was  made  from  the  mast  head,  bearing  E.  S.  E., 
and  to  leeward,  though  the  distance  prevented  her  character 
from  being  discovered.  The  Constitution  immediately  made 
sail  in  chase,  and  at  three,  the  stranger  was  ascertained  to  be 
a  ship  on  the  starboard  tack,  under  easy  canvas,  and  close 
hauled.  Half  an  hour  later,  she  was  distinctly  made  out  to 
be  a  frigate,  and  no  doubt  was  entertained  of  her  being  an 
enemy.  The  Constitution  kept  running  free  until  she  was 
within  a  league  of  the  frigate  to  leeward,  when  she  began  to 
shorten  sail.  By  this  time  the  enemy  had  lain  his  main  top- 
sail aback,  in  waiting" for  the  Constitution  to  come  down,  with 
everything  ready  to  engage.  Perceiving  that  the  Englishman 
sought  a  combat.  Captain  Hull  made  his  own  preparations 
with  greater  deliberation.  The  Constitution  consequently 
furled  her  topgallant  sails,  and  stowed  all  her  lightstay  sails 
and  fling  jib.  Soon  after,  she  took  a  second  reef  in  the  top- 
sails, hauled  up  the  courses,  sent  down  royal  yards  cleared  for 
action,  and  beat  to  quarters.  At  five,  the  chase  hoisted  three 
English  ensigns,  and  immediately  after  she  opened  her  fire, 
at  long  gun  shot,  wearing  several  times  to  rake  and  prevent 
being  raked.      The  Constitution  occasionally  yawed  as  she 


CAPTAIN    ISAAC    HULL.  209 

approached,  to  avoid  being  raked,  and  she  fired  a  few  guns  as 
they  bore,  but  her  object  was  not  to  commence  the  action  seri- 
ously until  quite  close.  At  six  o'clock,  the  enemy  bore  up 
and  ran  off  under  his  three  topsails  and  jib,  with  the  wind 
on  his  quarter.  As  this  was  an  indication  of  a  readiness  to 
receive  his  antagonist,  in  a  fair  yard-arm  fight,  the  Constitu- 
tion immediately  set  her  main-top-gallant  sail  and  foresail  to 
get  along  side.  At  a  little  past  six,  the  bow  of  the  American 
frigate  began  to  double  on  the  quarter  of  the  English  ship, 
when  she  opened  with  her  forward  guns,  drawing  slowly 
ahead  with  her  greater  way,  both  vessels  keeping  up  a  close 
and  heavy  fire,  as  their  guns  bore. 

"  In  about  ten  minutes,  or  just  as  the  ships  were  fairly  side 
by  side,  the  mizzen-mast  of  the  Englishman  was  shot  away, 
when  the  American  passed  slowly  ahead,  keeping  up  a  tre- 
mendous fire,  and  luffed  short  round  on  her  bows,  to  prevent 
being  raked.  In  executing  this  manoeuvre,  the  ship  shot  into 
the  wind,  got  sternway,  and  fell  foul  of  her  antagonist.  While 
in  this  situation,  the  cabin  of  the  Constitution  took  fire  from 
the  close  explosion  of  the  forward  guns  of  the  enemy,  who 
obtained  a  small,  but  momentary  advantage  from  his  position. 
The  good  conduct  of  Mr.  Hoff'man,  who  commanded  in  the 
cabin,  soon  repaired  this  accident,  and  a  gun  of  the  enemy's 
that  had  threatened  further  injury,  was  disabled.  As  the 
vessels  touched,  both  parties  prepared  to  board.  The  English 
turned  all  hands  up  from  below,  and  mustered  forward,  with 
that  object,  while  Mr.  Morris  the  first  lieutenant,  with  his  own 
hands,  endeavored  to  lash  the  ships  together.  Mr.  Alwyn,  the 
master,  and  Mr.  Bush,  the  lieutenant  of  marines,  were  upon 
the  taffrail  of  the  Constitution  to  be  ready  to  spring.  Both 
sides  now  suff"ered  by  the  closeness  of  the  musketry;  the  En- 
glish much  the  most,  however.  Mr.  Morris  was  shot  through 
the  body,  the  bullet  fortunately  missing  his  vitals.  Mr.  Alwyn 
27 


210  CAPTAIN    ISAAC    HULL. 

was  wounded  in  the  shoulder,  and  Mr.  Bush  fell  dead  by  a 
bullet  through  the  head.  It  being  found  impossible  for  either 
party  to  board,  in  the  face  of  such  a  lire,  and  with  the  heavy 
sea  that  was  on,  the  sails  were  filled,  and  just  as  the  Constitu- 
tion shot  ahead,  the  fore-mast  of  the  enemy  fell  carrying  down 
with  it  his  main-mast,  and  leaving  him  wallowing  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea,  a  helpless  wreck.  The  Constitution  now  hauled 
aboard  her  tacks,  ran  off  a  short  distance,  secured  her  masts, 
and  rove  new  rigging.  At  7,  she  wore  round,  and  taking  a 
favorable  position  for  raking,  a  jack  that  had  been  kept  flying 
on  the  stump  of  the  mizzen-mast  of  the  enemy  was  lowered. 
Mr.  George  Campbell  Read,  the  third  lieutenant,  was  sent  on 
board  the  prize,  and  the  boat  soon  returned  with  the  report  that 
the  captured  vessel  was  the  Guerriere,  thirty-eight  guns,  Cap- 
tain Dacres,  one  of  the  ships  that  had  so  lately  chased  the  Con- 
stitution, off  New  York.  The  Constitution  kept  wearing  to 
remain  near  her  prize,  and  at  two  A.  M.,  a  strange  sail  was  seen 
closing,  when  she  cleared  for  action,  but  at  three  the  stranger 
stood  off. 

"At  daylight  the  ofhcer  in  charge  hailed  to  say  that  the 
Guerriere  had  four  feet  Avater  in  her  hold,  and  that  there  was 
danger  of  her  sinking.  On  receiving  this  information,  Cap- 
tain Hull  sent  all  the  boats  to  remove  the  prisoners.  Fortu- 
nately the  weather  was  moderate,  and  by  noon  this  duty  was 
nearly  ended.  At  three  P.  M.,  the  prize  crew  was  recalled, 
having  set  the  wreck  on  fire,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  she 
blew  up.  Finding  himself  filled  with  wounded  prisoners. 
Captain  Hull  now  returned  to  Boston,  where  he  arrived  on 
the  30th  of  the  same  month.  It  is  not  easy,  at  this  distant 
day,  to  convey  any  idea  of  the  full  force  of  the  moral  impres- 
sion created  in  this  country,  by  this  victory  of  one  frigate  over 
another. 


CAPTAIN    ISAAC    HULL.  211 

"  So  deep  had  been  the  effect  produced  on  the  public  mind 
by  the  constant  accounts  of  the  successes  of  the  English  over 
their  enemies  at  sea,  that  the  opinions  already  mentioned  of 
their  invincibiUty  on  that  element  generally  prevailed ;  and  it 
had  been  publicly  predicted  that,  before  the  contest  had  con- 
tinued six  months,  British  sloops  of  war  would  lie  alongside 
of  American  frigates  with  comparative  impunity. 

''Perhaps  the  only  portion  of  even  the  American  population 
that  expected  different  results,  was  that  which  composed  the 
little  body  of  officers  on  whom  the  trial  would  fall,  and  they 
looked  forward  to  the  struggle  with  a  manly  resolution,  rather 
than  with  a  very  confident  hope. 

"  But  the  termination  of  the  combat  just  related,  far  exceeded 
the  expectations  of  even  the  most  sanguine.  After  making 
all  proper  allowance  for  the  difference  of  force,  which  certainly 
existed  in  favor  of  the  Constitution,  as  w^ell  as  for  the  excuses 
that  the  defeated  party  freely  offered  to  the  world,  men  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic,  who  were  competent  to  form  intelligent 
opinions  on  such  subjects,  saw  the  promise  of  many  future 
successes  in  tiiis. 

"  The  style  in  which  the  Constitution  had  been  handled,  the 
deliberate  and  yet  earnest  manner  in  which  she  had  been  car- 
ried into  battle;  the  extraordinary  execution  that  had  been 
made  in  so  short  a  time  by  her  fire ;  the  readiness  and  gallantry 
with  which  she  had  cleared  for  the  action,  so  soon  after  de- 
stroying one  British  frigate,  in  which  was  manifested  a  disposi- 
tion to  meet  another,  united  to  produce  a  deep  conviction  of  self- 
reliance,  coolness,  and  skill,  that  was  of  infinitely  more  weight 
than  the  transient  feeling  which  might  result  from  any  acci- 
dental triumph.  In  this  combat  the  Constitution  suffered  a 
good  deal  in  her  rigging  and  sails,  but  very  little  in  her  hull. 
Her  loss  was  seven  killed  and  seven  wounded.     As  soon  as 


212  CAPTAIN    ISAAC    HULL. 

she  had  rove  new  rigging,  applied  the  necessary  stoppers,  and 
bent  a  few  sails,  as  has  been  seen,  she  was  ready  to  engage 
another  frigate."  Since  that  time  Captain  Hull  has  commanded 
in  the  Pacific  and  Mediterranean,  and  at  shore  stations  in  the 
United  States.  He  enjoyed  the  rank  of  captain  in  the  United 
States  naval  service  for  thirty-seven  years.  "  No  act  of  Commo- 
dore Hull's  life  can  be  quoted  as  a  drawback  upon  the  immense 
debt  of  gratitude  due  him  by  his  fellow-citizens.  He  did  not, 
in  the  midst  of  the  continued  praise  that  followed  him,  yield 
to  a  single  suggestion  of  wrong,  nor  presume,  for  a  moment, 
upon  the  hold  w^hich  he  had  on  the  affections  of  the  nation. 
Every  day  of  his  life  seemed  to  be  spent  as  if  he  felt  that  day 
had  its  special  duty,  which,  if  unperformed,  would  leave  in- 
complete his  honors,  and  perhaps,  tarnish  the  laurels  he  had 
already  acquired.  Hence,  day  by  day,  he  earned  new  titles  to 
public  affection ;  and  as  a  man,  a  patriot,  and  an  officer,  he 
grew  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  men.  And  the  last  day  of 
his  life  saw  his  laurels  as  fresh  as  when  they  were  first  woven 
into  a  chaplet  for  his  brow."  He  died  at  his  residence  in 
Philadelphia,  13th  of  February,  1843,  in  the  sixty-eighth  year 
of  his  age.  By  a  resolution  of  Congress,  it  was  unanimously 
agreed  to  present  to  Captain  Isaac  Hull,  commander  of  the 
frigate  Constitution,  the  thanks  of  that  body  and  a  gold  medal 
{see  Plate  IX),  for  the  capture  of  the  British  frigate  Guer- 
riere,  19th  of  August,  1812. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  Guerriere. 
Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Hull. 

Legend. — Isaacus  Hull  peritos  arte  superate,  July,  1812, 
Ang.  cer famine  fortes. 


CAPTAIN    ISAAC    HULL.  213 

Reverse. — The  battle  between  the  Constitution  and  Guer- 
riere  is  represented  in  that  particular  and  interesting  stage, 
when  the  boarders  from  the  Guerriere  were  repulsed,  and  a 
raking  fire  from  the  Constitution  had  cut  away  the  main  and 
foremasts  of  the  Guerriere,  which  are  falling,  leaving  the 
American  ship  little  injured. 

Legend. — Horse  memento  victoria. 

Exergue. — Inter  Const,  nav  Amer.  et  Guer.  Angl. 


CAPTAIN    JACOB    JONES. 


Jacob  Jones  was  the  son  of  an  independent  and  respectable 
farmer,  near  the  village  of  Smyrna,  in  the  county  of  Kent, 
in  the  state  of  Delaware,  and  was  born  in  the  year  1770. 
His  mother,  who  was  an  amiable  and  interesting  woman,  died 
when  Jacob  was  two  years  old.  Some  time  afterwards  his 
father  married  a  second  time  to  a  Miss  Holt,  granddaughter  of 
the  Hon.  Ry  ves  Holt,  formerly  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Delaware,  or,  as  it  was  then  denominated,  "  the  lower 
counties  on  Delaware."  Shortly  after  this  second  marriage 
his  father  died,  when  this,  his  only  child,  was  scarcely  four 
years  of  age.  It  w^as  the  happiness  of  our  hero  to  be  left 
under  the  care  of  a  step-mother  who  possessed  all  the  kind 
feelings  of  a  natural  parent.  The  aflfection  which  this  ex- 
cellent woman  had  borne  towards  the  father,  w^as,  on  his  death, 
transferred  to  his  child.  By  her  he  was  nurtured  from  infancy 
to  manhood,  with  a  truly  maternal  care  and  tenderness.  At 
an  early  age  he  was  placed  at  school,  where  his  proficiency 
exceeded  her  most  anxious  expectations.  He  was  soon  trans- 
ferred to  a  grammar  school  at  Lewies,  in  Sussex  county,  where 
he  read  the  classics  with  much  assiduity,  and  became  well 


CAPTAIN  JACOB  JONES.  215 

acquainted  with  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen  he  left  school  and  commenced  the  study  of  medi- 
cine at  Dover,  in  the  county  of  Kent,  where  he  remained  four 
years,  after  which  he  attended  the  usual  courses  of  medical 
lectures  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  returned  to 
Dover  to  commence  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  did 
not,  however,  continue  long  in  the  practice.  Discouraged 
by  the  scanty  employment  that  is  commonly  the  lot  of  the 
young  physician,  and  impatient  of  an  inactive  life,  he  deter- 
mined to  abandon  it  for  a  more  lucrative  occupation.  Go- 
vernor Clayton,  who  was  a  personal  friend  of  his  father,  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  clerkship  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
State  of  Delaware,  for  the  county  of  Kent.  In  this  situation 
he  remained  some  time,  but  the  sedentary  nature  of  its  duties 
caused  it  to  become  irksome  to  him,  and  possessing  a  spirit 
of  enterprise,  and  not  content  with  the  tranquil  ease  of  com- 
mon life,  he  resolved  upon  a  measure  as  indicative  of  the  force 
of  his  character,  as  it  was  decisive  of  his  future  fortunes.  This 
Avas  to  enter  the  navy  of  the  United  States.  Jones,  it  appears, 
had  weighed  all  the  inconveniences  and  sacrifices  incident  to 
his  determination,  and  had  made  up  his  mind  to  encounter 
and  surmount  them  all.  The  only  consolation  to  his  friends 
was  the  reflection,  that  if  courage,  activity  and  hardihood 
could  ensure  naval  success,  Jacob  Jones  was  peculiarly  fitted 
for  the  life  he  had  adopted ;  and  it  is  probable  they  felt  some 
degree  of  admiration  for  that  decision  of  character  which,  in 
the  pursuit  of  what  he  conceived  a  laudable  object,  could 
enable  him  to  make  such  large  sacrifices  of  personal  pride  and 
convenience.  Through  the  exertions  of  his  friends,  he  ob- 
tained a  midshipman's  warrant  and  joined  the  frigate  United 
States,  Commodore  Barry,  from  whom  he  derived  great  in- 
struction in  the  theory  and  practice  of  his  profession,  blended 
with  the  utmost  kindness  and  civility.     He  was  a  midshipman 


216  CAPTAIN  JACOB  JONES. 

on  board  of  tlie  United  States,  when  she  bore  to  France  Chief 
Justice  Ellsworth  and  General  Davie,  as  envoys  extraordinary 
to  the  French  Republic.  He  was  next  transferred  to  the 
Ganges,  where  he  remained  till  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
with  Tripoli,  when  he  was  stationed  on  board  of  the  frigate 
Philadelphia,  under  the  command  of  the  gallant  Bainbridge. 
The  disaster  which  befel  that  ship  and  her  crew  before  Tri- 
poli, forms  a  solemn  page  in  our  naval  history ;  atoned  for, 
however,  by  the  brilliant  achievements  to  which  it  gave  rise. 

Twenty  months  of  severe  captivity  among  a  barbarous 
people,  and  in  a  noxious  climate,  neither  broke  the  spirit  nor 
impaired  the  constitution  of  our  hero.  Blest  by  nature  with 
vigorous  health  and  an  invincible  resolution,  when  relieved 
from  bondage  by  the  bravery  of  his  countrymen,  he  returned 
home  full  of  life  and  ardor.  He  was  soon  after  promoted  to  a 
lieutenancy,  which  grade  he  merited  before  his  confinement 
in  Tripoli,  but  older  warrant  officers  had  stood  in  the  way  of 
his  preferment. 

After  being  employed  for  some  length  of  time  on  the 
Orleans  station,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  brig 
Argus,  stationed  for  the  protection  of  our  commerce  on  the 
southern  maritime  frontier.  In  this  situation  he  acted  with 
vigilance  and  fidelity,  and  conformed  to  his  instructions,  to 
the  public  interest  and  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  govern- 
ment. In  1811,  Captain  Jones  was  transferred  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  sloop  of  war  Wasp,  mounting  eighteen  twenty- 
four  pound  carronades,  and  was  dispatched,  in  the  spring  of 
1812,  with  communications  to  the  courts  of  St.  Cloud  and  St. 
James.  During  this  voyage,  war  was  declared  by  tiie  United 
States  against  Great  Britain. 

On  his  return,  Captain  Jones  refitted  his  ship  with  all  pos- 
sible dispatch,  and  repaired  to  sea  on  a  cruise,  in  which  he 
met  with  no  other  luck  than  the  capture  of  an  inconsiderable 


CAPTAIN  JACOB  JONES.  217 

prize.  He  again  put  to  sea  on  the  13th  of  October,  and  on 
the  18th  of  the  same  month,  after  a  long  and  heavy  gale,  he 
fell  in  with  a  number  of  strongly  armed  merchantmen,  under 
convoy  of  his  Britannic  majesty's  sloop  of  Avar  The  Frolic, 
Captain  Whinyates. 

As  this  engagement  has  been  one  of  the  most  decidedly 
honorable  to  the  American  flag,  from  the  superior  force  of  the 
enemy,  we  vouch  for  the  following  account  of  it  to  be  scrupu- 
lously correct : — ''  There  was  a  heavy  swell  in  the  sea,  and 
the  weather  was  boisterous.  The  top-gallant  yards  of  the 
Wasp  were  taken  down,  her  topsails  were  close  reefed,  and 
she  was  prepared  for  action.  About  eleven  o'clock  A.  M., 
the  Frolic  showed  Spanish  colors,  and  the  Wasp  immediately 
displayed  the  American  ensign  and  pendant.  At  thirty-two 
minutes  past  eleven,  the  Wasp  came  dowm  to  windward  on 
her  larboard  side,  within  about  sixty  yards  and  hailed.  The 
enemy  hauled  down  the  Spanish  colors,  hoisted  the  British 
ensign,  and  opened  a  fire  of  cannon  and  musketry.  This  the 
Wasp  instantly  returned,  and  coming  nearer  to  the  enemy,  the 
action  became  close  and  without  intermission.  In  four  or  five 
minutes  the  main-topmast  of  the  Wasp  was  shot  away,  and 
falling  down  with  the  main-topsail  yard  across  the  larboard  fore 
and  fore-topsail  braces,  rendered  her  head-yards  unmanageable 
duringr  the  rest  of  the  action.  In  two  or  three  minutes  more 
her  gaft  and  mizzen  top-gallant  sail  were  shot  away.  Still  she 
continued  a  close  and  constant  fire.  The  sea  was  so  rough 
that  the  muzzles  of  the  Wasp's  guns  were  frequently  in  the 
water.  The  Americans,  therefore,  fired  as  the  ship's  side  was 
going  down,  so  that  their  shot  went  either  on  the  enemy's 
deck  or  below  it,  while  the  English  fired  as  the  vessel  rose, 
and  thus  her  balls  chiefly  touched  the  rigging,  or  were  thrown 
away.  The  Wasp  now  shot  ahead  of  the  Frolic,  raked  her, 
and  then  resumed  her  position  on  her  larboard  bow.  Her  fire 
28 


218  CAPTAIN  JACOB  JONES. 

was  now  obviously  attended  with  such  success,  and  that  of 
the  Frolic  so  slackened  that  Captain  Jones  did  not  wish  to 
board  her,  lest  the  roughness  of  the  sea  might  endanger  both 
vessels ;  but  in  the  course  of  a  few  minutes  more  every  brace 
of  the  Wasp  was  shot  away,  and  iier  rigging  so  much  torn 
to  pieces  that  he  was  afraid  that  his  masts,  being  unsupported, 
would  go  by  tiie  board  and  the  Frolic  be  able  to  escape.  He 
thought,  therefore,  the  best  chance  of  securing  her  w^as  to 
board  and  decide  tiie  contest  at  once.  With  this  view  he  wore 
ship,  and  running  down  upon  the  enemy,  the  vessels  struck 
each  other,  the  Wasp's  side  rubbing  along  the  Frolic's  bow 
so  that  her  jib-boom  came  in  between  the  main  and  mizzen 
rigging  of  the  Wasp,  directly  over  the  heads  of  Captain  Jones 
and  the  first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Biddle,  who  were  at  that  moment 
standing  together  near  the  capstan.  The  Frolic  lay  so  fair 
for  raking,  that  they  decided  not  to  board  until  they  had 
given  a  closing  broadside.  Whilst  they  were  loading  for 
this,  so  near  were  the  two  vessels,  that  the  rammers  of  the 
Wasp  were  pushed  against  the  Frolic's  sides,  and  two  of  her 
guns  went  through  the  bow-ports  of  the  Frolic,  and  swept 
the  wdiole  length  of  her  deck.  At  this  moment.  Jack  Lang,* 
a  seaman  of  the  Wasp,  a  gallant  fellow,  who  had  been  once 
impressed  by  a  British  man-of-war,  jumped  on  a  gun  with  his 
cutlass,  and  was  springing  on  board  the  Frolic.  Captain 
Jones,  wisiiing  to  fire  again  before  boarding,  called  him  down, 
but  his  impetuosity  could  not  be  restrained,  and  he  was  already 
on  the  bowsprit  of  the  Frohc ;  when,  seeing  the  ardor  and 
enthusiasm  of  the  Wasp's  crew,  Lieutenant  Biddle  mounted 
on  the  hammock-cloth  to  board. 

"At  this  signal,  the  crew  followed,  but  Lieutenant  Biddle's 

*  John  Lang  was  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  in  New  Jersey.  This 
seaman  is  a  proof  that  conspicuous  bravery  is  confined  to  no  rank  in  the 
naval  service. 


CAPTAIN  JACOB  JONES.  219 

feet  got  entangled  in  the  rigging  of  the  enemy's  bowsprit, 
and  Midshipman  Baker,  in  his  ardor  to  get  on  board,  laying 
hold  of  his  coat,  he  fell  back  on  the  Wasp's  deck.  He  sprang 
up,  and  as  the  next  swell  of  the  sea  brought  the  Frolic  nearer, 
he  got  on  her  bowsprit  where  Lang  and  another  seaman  were 
already.  He  passed  them  on  the  forecastle,  and  was  surprised 
at  not  seeing  a  single  man  alive  on  the  Frolic's  deck,  except 
the  seaman  at  the  wheel  and  three  officers.  The  deck  w^as 
slippery  with  blood  and  strewed  with  the  bodies  of  the  dead. 
As  he  went  forward,  the  Captain  of  the  Frolic,  with  two  other 
officers,  who  were  standing  on  the  quarter-deck,  threw  down 
their  swords,  with  an  inclination  of  their  bodies,  denoting 
that  they  had  surrendered.  At  this  moment  the  colors  were 
still  flying;  Lieutenant  Biddle,  therefore,  jumped  into  the 
rigging  himself  and  hauled  down  the  British  ensign,  and  pos- 
session was  taken  of  the  Frolic  in  forty -three  minutes  after 
the  first  fire.  She  was  in  a  shocking  condition ;  the  birth- 
deck,  particularly,  was  crowded  with  dead,  wounded  and 
dying ;  there  being  but  a  small  portion  of  the  Frolic's  crew 
who  had  escaped. 

"  Captain  Jones  instantly  sent  on  board  his  surgeon's  mate, 
and  all  the  blankets  of  the  Frolic  were  brought  from  her  slop 
room  for  the  comfort  of  the  wounded.  To  increase  this  con- 
fusion, both  ther  Frolic's  masts  soon  fell,  covering  the  dead  and 
everything  on  deck,  and  she  lay  a  complete  wreck. 

"It  now  appeared  that  the  Frolic  mounted  sixteen  thirty-two 
pound  carronades,  four  twelve  pounders  on  the  maindeck,  and 
two  twelve  pound  carronades. 

"  She  was,  therefore,  superior  to  the  Wasp,  by  exactly  four 
twelve  pounders.  The  number  of  men  on  board,  as  stated  by 
the  officers  of  the  Frolic,  was  one  hundred  and  ten ;  the  num- 
ber of  seamen  on  board  the  Wasp,  was  one  hundred  and  two ; 
but  it  could  not  be  ascertained,  whether  in  this  one  hundred 
and  ten,  were  included  the  marines  and  officers,  for  the  Wasp 


220  CAPTAIN  JACOB  JONES. 

had  besides  her  one  hundred  and  two  men,  officers  and  ma- 
rines, making  the  whole  crew  about  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five.  What  is,  however,  decisive,  as  to  their  comparative 
force  is,  that  the  officers  of  the  FroUc  acknowledged  that 
they  had  as  many  men  as  they  knew  w^hat  to  do  with,  and  in 
fact  the  Wasp  could  have  spared  fifteen  men.  There  was, 
therefore,  on  the  most  favorable  view,  at  least  an  equality  of 
men,  and  an  inequality  of  gans.  The  disparity  of  loss  was 
much  greater.  The  exact  number  of  killed  and  wounded  on 
board  the  Frolic,  could  not  be  precisely  determined,  but  from 
the  observation  of  our  officers,  and  the  declarations  of  those 
of  the  Frolic,  the  number  could  not  have  been  less  than  about 
thirty  killed,  including  two  officers,  and  of  the  wounded  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty,  the  captain  and  second  lieutenant  being 
of  the  number.  The  Wasp  had  five  men  killed  and  five 
slightly  v/ounded.  All  hands  were  now  employed  in  clearing 
the  deck,  burying  the  dead,  and  taking  care  of  the  wounded, 
when  Captain  Jones  sent  orders  to  Lieutenant  Biddle  to  pro- 
ceed to  Charleston,  or  any  southern  port  of  the  United  States; 
and,  as  there  was  a  suspicious  sail  to  windward,  the  Wasp 
would  continue  her  cruise.  The  ships  then  parted.  The 
suspicious  sail  was  now  coming  down  very  fast.  At  first  it 
was  supposed  that  she  was  one  of  the  convoy,  who  had  fled 
during  the  engagement,  and  who  now  came  for  the  purpose  of 
attacking  the  prize.  The  guns  of  the  Frolic  were  therefore 
loaded,  and  the  ship  cleared  for  action ;  but  the  enemy,  as  she 
advanced,  proved  to  be  a  seventy-four,  the  Poictiers,  Captain 
Beresford.  She  fired  a  shot  over  the  Frolic,  passed  her,  over- 
took the  Wasp,  the  disabled  state  of  whose  rigging  prevented 
her  from  escaping;  and  then  returned  to  the  Frolic,  who  could, 
of  course,  make  no  resistance.  The  Wasp  and  Frolic  were 
both  carried  into  Bermuda." 

On  the  return  of  Captain  Jones  to  the  United  States,  he  was 
every w^here  received  with  the  utmost  demonstrations  of  grati- 


CAPTAIN    JACOB    JONES.  221 

tude  and  admiration.  Brilliant  fetes  were  given  him  in  the 
cities  through  which  he  passed.  The  legislature  of  his  na- 
tive state  appointed  a  committee  to  wait  on  him  with  their 
thanks,  and  to  express  the  "pride  and  pleasure"  they  felt  in 
recognizing  him  as  a  native  of  their  state ;  in  the  same  re- 
solution they  voted  him  an  elegant  piece  of  plate,  embellished 
with  appropriate  designs. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States  appropriated  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars,  as  a  compensation  to  Captain  Jones  and  his 
crew  for  the  loss  they  sustained  by  the  recapture  of  the  Frolic. 
They  also  ordered  a  gold  medal  [see  Plate  X. )  to  be  presented  to 
the  Captain,  and  a  silver  one  to  each  of  his  officers.  Various 
other  marks  of  honor  have  been  paid  by  the  legislatures  and 
citizens  of  different  states,  but  tiie  most  substantial  testimony 
of  approbation  which  he  received,  was  the  appointment  to  the 
command  of  the  frigate  Macedonian,  captured  from  the  British. 

Since  the  peace  with  England,  Captain  Jones  has  been 
alternately  employed  on  foreign  or  home  stations ;  he  has  now 
retired  to  his  farm  in  his  native  state,  to  enjoy  the  evening  of 
his  days  in  tranquillity  and  peace.  May  they  be  as  serene  and 
happy  as  those  of  his  early  years  were  patriotic  and  brave ! 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  British  sloop  of  war  Frolic. 

Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Jones. 

Legend. — Jacobus  Jones,  virtus  in  ardua  tendit. 

Reverse. — Two  ships  closely  engaged,  the  bowsprit  of  the 
Wasp  between  the  mast  of  the  Frolic ;  men  engaged  on  the 
bow  of  the  Wasp  while  in  the  act  of  boarding  the  Frolic ;  the 
main-topmast  of  the  Wasp  shot  away. 

Legend. — Victoriam  hosti  Majori  celerrime  rapuit. 

Exergue. — Inter  Wasp  nav.  Ameri.  et  Frolic  nav.  Ang. 
die  18th  Oct.  1812. 


CAPT.    STEPHEN    DECATUR. 


The  subject  of  the  following  brief  sketch  was  born  in 
Worcester  county,  Maryland,  on  the  5th  of  January,  1779. 
He  was  the  son  of  Stephen  Decatur,  a  naval  officer  from  the 
first  establishment  of  the  American  navy,  until  the  difficul- 
ties with  the  French  terminated,  when  he  retired  to  Phila- 
delphia. He  died,  in  1808,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  His  son,  Stephen  Decatur,  Jun.,  entered  the  navy 
in  1798  as  a  midshipman  in  the  frigate  United  States,  then 
commanded  by  Commodore  Barry. 

In  ]  801,  he  was  promoted  and  sailed  as  lieutenant  on  board 
the  Essex,  in  Commodore  Dale's  squadron,  to  the  Mediterra- 
nean. 

At  Malta,  he  had  an  unfortunate  rencontre  with  a  British 
officer,  which  caused  his  suspension,  and  he  returned  home. 
He  demanded  an  investigation,  which  ended  in  his  appoint- 
ment to  the  command  of  the  Argus,  destined  to  form  part  of 
Commodore  Preble's  squadron  then  lying  before  Tripoli. 

On  his  joining  the  squadron  he  was  transferred  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Enterprise,  and  shortly  after,  captured  a  Tripoli- 


CAPTAIN  STEPHEN  DECATUR.  223 

tan  ketch,  within  sight  of  the  tower,  which  lie  afterwards 
named  the  Intrepid.  A  short  time  before  the  arrival  of  our 
hero,  the  frigate  Philadelphia,  which  had  run  aground  on  the 
Barbary  coast,  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Tripolitans. 
His  jealous  ardor  excited  him  to  form  some  project  by  which 
she  could  be  recaptured  or  destroyed. 

Having  obtained  the  consent  of  his  commodore,  with  seventy 
volunteers  on  board  the  ketch  Intrepid,  accompanied  by  the 
United  States  brig  Syren,  Lieutenant  Stewart,  he  arrived 
about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  Philadelphia,  lying 
within  half .  gun-shot  of  the  Bashaw's  castle,  and  of  the  princi- 
pal battery,  made  the  adventure  extremely  hazardous.  About 
eleven  o'clock,  he  approached  within  two  hundred  yards,  when 
he  w^as  hailed,  and  ordered  to  anchor.  He  directed  a  Maltese 
pilot  to  answer  that  the  anchor  had  been  lost  in  a  gale  of  wind. 
His  object  was  not  suspected  till  he  was  almost  along  side  of 
the  frigate,  when  the  Turks  were  thrown  into  the  utmost  con- 
fusion. 

Before  they  were  aware  of  the  character  of  their  visitors, 
Decatur  had  sprung  on  board,  followed  by  Midshipman  Charles 
Morris  :  these  officers  were  nearly  a  minute  on  the  deck  before 
their  companions  joined  them.  Fortunately  the  surprise  was 
so  great  that  before  the  Turks  could  recover  themselves,  a 
sufficient  number  had  assembled  equal  to  their  adversaries ; 
about  twenty  Turks  were  killed ;  the  rest  jumped  overboard 
or  fled  below.  After  setting  fire  to  the  ship  in  several  places, 
Decatur  and  crew  returned  to  the  ketch.  A  favorable  breeze 
sprung  up  soon  and  carried  them  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
enemy's  guns,  which  had  opened  a  fire  upon  them  from  the 
batteries  and  castles,  and  two  corsairs.  In  this  daring  exploit, 
not  one  man  was  killed,  and  only  four  wounded.  For  this 
gallant  achievement,  he  was  immediately  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  post  captain.     Commodore  Preble  had  determined 


224  CAPTAIN  STEPHEN  DECATUR. 

to  make  an  attack  on  Tripoli ;  and  having  obtained  tlie  loan  of 
some  gun-boats  and  bombards  from  the  King  of  Naples,  gave 
the  command  of  one  division  of  them  to  Captain  Decatur. 
The  signal  to  prepare  for  action  was  made  from  the  Commo- 
dore's ship,  the  Constitution,  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of 
August,  and  at  nine  o'clock  the  squadron  began  to  bombard 
the  town  and  the  vessels  in  the  harbor.  Decatur  advanced 
his  gun-boats  in  a  line  to  attack  the  Tripolitan  gun-boats, 
w4iich  were  moored  along  within  musket-shot  of  the  batte- 
ries. Disregarding  the  heavy  fire  from  the  batteries  now 
pouring  upon  them,  he,  with  twenty-seven  men,  boarded  one  of 
the  enemy's  gun-boats  which  contained  forty-seven  men,  and 
in  ten  minutes  its  deck  was  cleared,  and  the  boat  made  a  prize. 
At  this  moment  he  was  informed  that  his  brother.  Lieutenant 
James  Decatur,  who  commanded  another  boat,  had  captured 
a  gun-boat  of  the  enemy,  but  had  been  treacherously  shot  by 
her  commander,  who  had  pushed  off,  and  was  then  steering 
towards  the  harbor.  Decatur  instantly  pursued  him,  entering 
the  enemy's  line  with  his  single  boat,  and,  overtaking  the  foe, 
boarded  her  with  eleven  men,  being  all  the  Americans  he  had 
left.  He  singled  out  the  Turkish  commander,  who  was 
armed  with  an  espontoon  or  spear ;  in  attempting  to  strike  off 
the  head  of  which  with  his  sword,  the  treacherous  steel  gave 
way  and  was  broken  at  the  hilt,  and  he  received  a  severe 
wound  in  the  right  arm  and  breast ;  upon  which  he  seized  the 
spear  and  closed  with  him.  In  the  struggle  both  fell.  Deca- 
tur, being  uppermost,  caught  the  arm  of  the  Turk  with  his 
left  hand,  and  with  his  right,  seized  a  pistol  which  he  had  in 
his  pocket,  cocked  it,  fired  through  his  pocket  and  killed  him. 
During  this  struggle,  a  Tripolitan  aimed  a  blow  at  the  head 
of  Decatur  with  a  sabre ;  an  American  seaman,  although  so 
severely  wounded  as  to  lose  the  use  of  both  hands,  rushed 
forward  and  received  the  blow  on  his  own  head,  by  which  his 


CAPTAIN  STEPHEN  DECATUR.  225 

skull  was  fractured.  The  generous-hearted  sailor  survived, 
and  his  devotion  to  his  commander  was  rewarded  by  his 
government. 

Captain  Decatur  secured  both  his  prizes,  and  received  from 
Commodore  Preble  the  highest  commendation  for  his  bravery, 
who,  on  retiring  from  the  squadron,  gave  him  the  command 
of  the  Constitution. 

On  his  return  to  America,  he  superintended  the  building 
of  gunboats,  until  he  was  ordered  to  supersede  Commodore 
Barron  in  the  command  of  the  Chesapeake  frigate.  He  was 
afterwards  removed  to  the  frigate  United  States.  On  the 
25th  of  October,  1812,  he  fell  in  with  his  Britannic  majesty's 
ship  Macedonian,  one  of  the  finest  frigates  in  the  British  navy, 
which  he  captured  after  an  action  of  an  hour  and  a  half  His 
loss  w^as  four  killed  and  seven  wounded ;  that  of  the  Mace- 
donian thirty-six  killed  and  sixty-eight  wounded.  When  the 
commander  of  the  Macedonian  came  on  board  of  the  United 
States  and  presented  his  sword,  Decatur,  with  a  chivalrous 
and  delicate  courtesy,  declined  taking  it,  observing  that  he 
could  not  think  of  taking  the  sword  of  an  officer  who  had 
defended  his  ship  so  gallantly,  but  he  should  be  happy  to 
take  him  by  the  hand.  The  Macedonian  was  taken  into  the 
harbor  of  New  York,  where  she  was  repaired  and  equipped 
as  an  American  frigate ;  and  the  name  of  her  gallant  victor 
was  hailed  with  enthusiastic  admiration  throughout  the  coun- 
try. Congress  presented  to  him  a  vote  of  thanks  and  a  splen- 
did gold  medal,  {see  Plate  X,)  while  several  of  the  state  legis- 
latures and  cities  testified  their  high  sense  of  his  services  by 
votes  of  thanks  and  valuable  presents.  In  1813  Commodore 
Decatur  was  ordered  to  sea  with  the  United  States,  the  Mace- 
donian and  the  Hornet,  but  being  compelled  to  run  into  the 
mouth  of  the  Thames  in  Connecticut,  by  a  British  squadron, 
he  lay  off  New  London  for  several  months ;  this  becoming 
29 


226  CAPTAIN    STEPHEN    DECATUR. 

irksome,  he  sent  a  challenge  to  the  commander  of  the  block- 
ading squadron,  offering  to  meet  two  British  ships,  with  the 
United  States  and  the  Macedonian;  but  this  invitation  Sir 
Thomas  M.  Hardy  politely  declined. 

In  1815  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  frigate 
President,  and  in  attempting  to  get  to  sea,  came  in  contact 
with  the  Endymon,  Tenedos  and  Pomona  frigates,  by  which 
he  was  captured  and  carried  into  Bermuda.  After  the  peace 
with  England,  Commodore  Decatur  was  dispatched  to  the 
Mediterranean,  to  chastise  the  Algerines,  wdio,  instigated  as 
w^as  supposed  by  the  British,  had  captured  some  of  our  mer- 
chantmen and  enslaved  their  crews.  He  soon  captured  an 
Algerine  frigate  of  forty-nine  guns,  after  a  short  acftion  (in 
which  the  celebrated  Rais  Htammida  was  killed),  and  a  brig 
of  twenty-two  guns.  He  arrived  before  Algiers  on  the  22d  of 
June,  1815,  and  the  next  day  compelled  the  prond  regency 
to  a  treaty  most  honorable  to  our  country.  He  demanded  that 
no  tribute  was  ever  to  be  required  of  the  United  States ;  that 
all  enslaved  Americans  were  to  be  released  without  ransom,  and 
that  no  American  was  ever  to  be  held  again  as  a  slave.  The 
relinquishment  of  the  tribute  was  a  point  most  difficult  to  ad- 
just. The  Dey  contended  that  it  might  be  used  as  a  precedent 
by  other  nations;  "even  a  little  powder,"  said  he,  "might 
prove  satisfactory."  "If,"  replied  our  hero,  "you  insist  upon 
receiving  powder  as  tribute,  you  must  expect  to  receive  balls 
with  it."  The  next  day  the  treaty  was  negotiated,  with  im- 
munities and  privileges  never  before  granted  by  a  Barbary 
state  to  a  Christian  nation.  Commodore  Decatur  thence  pro- 
ceeded to  Tunis  and  Tripoli,  where,  by  similar  diplomatism, 
he  obtained  the  necessary  redress,  and  returned  home  in  the 
autumn  of  the  same  year.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the 
board  of  commissioners,  and  resided  at  Kalarama,  near  Wash- 
ington.     In    October,   1819,    a   correspondence   commenced 


CAPTAIN    STEPHEN    DECATLR.  227 

between  Commodore  Barron,  former  commander  of  the  Chesa- 
peake, and  Commodore  Decatur,  in  relation  to  harsh  expres- 
sions said  to  have  been  used  by  the  latter  towards  the  former. 
Commodore  Decatur  denied  having,  at  any  time,  made  use  of 
such  expressions,  but  admitted  at  the  same  time,  that  he  had 
not  been  particular  to  conceal  his  opinions,  which  were  not 
very  favorable  to  Commodore  Barron.  This  controversy, 
which  lasted  some  months,  could  not  be  assuaged  by  the  inter- 
ference of  friends,  but  a  challenge  sent  and  accepted,  named 
the  day  that  was  to  send  its  victim  bleeding  to  his  grave.  On 
the  20th  of  March,  1820,  they  repaired  to  Bladensburg.  At 
the  first  fire  both  were  wounded,  Decatur  mortally,  Barron 
dangerously. 

Commodore  Decatur  died  the  same  evening.  In  the  enjoy- 
ment of  his  country's  highest  regard  and  confidence,  he  added 
his  before  unsullied  name  to  the  list  of  victims  who  died 
slaves  to  "  an  affair  of  honor."  His  remains  were  temporarily 
deposited  in  the  family  vault  of  Colonel  Bomford,  at  Kalara- 
ma,  w^here  they  remained  until  1846,  wdien  they  were  re-in- 
terred with  appropriate  ceremonies  in  the  churchyard  of  St. 
Peter's,  in  Philadelphia,  and  rest  by  the  side  of  those  of  his 
father  and  family. 

The  lid  of  the  coffin  was  removed  when  it  was  brought  out 
of  the  vault  at  Washington,  in  the  hope  that  the  noble  features 
of  the  dead  hero  w^ere  still  perfect,  but  the  friends  who  so 
anxiously  sought  this  gratification,  had  to  undergo  a  sad  dis- 
appointment. Every  lineament  of  the  fine  face  was  gone — 
nothinor  remained  save  the  skeleton  and  a  few^  remnants  of  the 

o 

clothes. 

The  original  coffin  is  now  enclosed  in  a  new  one  of  black 
walnut,  a  silver  shield  on  the  top  of  Avhich  bears  the  following 
touching  inscription  : — "  Here  lie  the  remains  of  Commodore 
Stephen  Decatur,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  departed 


228  CAPTAIN  STEPHEN  DECATUR. 

this  life  in  the  city  of  Washington,  on  the  twentieth  day 
of  March,  1820,  aged  forty -two  years.  His  public  services 
are  recorded  in  the  annals  of  his  country — his  private  virtues 
in  the  hearts  of  his  friends — and  above  all,  in  her  heart  who 
was  for  fourteen  years  the  happy  partner  of  his  life,  and  the 
delighted  witness  of  his  exalted  worth ;  and  who  can  with 
truth  inscribe  upon  this  humble  tablet,  that  he  possessed  every 
virtue  of  which  the  human  character  is  susceptible,  and  each 
carried  to  its  highest  perfection.  Columbia  mourn  !  For  time, 
which  soothes  the  grief  of  individuals,  will  only  render  you 
more  sensible  of  the  irreparable  loss  3^ou  have  sustained." 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  British  frigate  Macedonian. 

Device. — A  bust  of  Captain  Decatur. 

Legend. — Stephanus  Decatur  Navarchus  pugnis  pluribus 
victor. 

Reverse. — Two  ships  engaged ;  the  topmasts  of  one  shot 
away,  the  other  with  a  few  shot  only  in  her  sails. 

Legend. — Occidit  signnm  hostile  sidera  surgunt. 

Exergue. — Inter  sta.  uni.  nav.  Amer.  et  Macedo.  nav.  Ang. 
die  25th  Octobris,  1812. 


COMMODORE    BAINBRIDGE. 


William  Bainbridge,  of  the  American  navy,  was  born  at 
Princeton,  New  Jersey,  on  the  7th  of  May,  1774.  He  was 
the  son  of  Dr.  Absalom  Bainbridge,  a  respectable  physician 
of  that  town.  His  education  was  limited  to  the  usual  branches 
of  an  English  school,  with  a  pretty  good  knowledge  of  the 
French  lano^uao^e. 

His  first  setting  out  in  life  was  in  a  counting-house  in  New 
York.  Thence  he  removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  was  for 
some  time  employed  as  clerk  in  a  mercantile  house  in  that 
city.  Some  of  his  biographers  say  he  was  sent  in  some 
capacity  to  sea,  by  the  house  in  which  he  was  employed; 
others,  that,  tired  of  a  mercantile  life,  he  wished  to  try  the  sea. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  he  sailed  as  mate  of  the  ship  Hope,  on  a 
voyage  to  Holland,  during  which  voyage  he  saved  the  life  of 
his  captain,  who  was  seized  by  a  mutinous  crew  with  the  in- 
tention of  throwing  him  overboard.  On  his  return  home,  he 
was  offered  the  command  of  a  merchant  vessel  in  the  Dutch 
trade  which  he  accepted,  being  then  but  nineteen  years  of  age. 
In  this  and  other  trading  vessels  he  remained  until  179S,  when 


230  COMMODORE    BAINBRIDGE. 

he  entered  the  naval  service  of  the  United  States  as  lieutenant. 
His  first  cruise  in  the  American  service,  wb,s  to  the  West  In- 
dies, in  command  of  the  schooner  Retaliation,  of  fourteen  guns, 
which  unfortunately  was  captured  by  two  French  frigates 
and  carried  into  Guadaloupe ;  after  remaining  there  a  short 
time,  he,  with  his  vessel,  was  permitted  to  return  to  the  United 
States.  In  1799,  he  again  sailed  to  the  West  Indies  in  the  brig 
Norfolk,  eighteen  guns,  with  the  commission  of  master  com- 
mandant. During  this  cruise  he  was  more  fortunate,  for  he 
captured  several  merchant  vessels,  and  a  privateer,  destroyed 
a  number  of  barges,  and  compelled  another  privateer  of  six- 
teen guns  to  run  ashore.  He  also  gave  protection  to  our  mer- 
chants trading  in  those  seas.  In  1800,  Bainbridge  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  captain,  and  sailed  in  the  frigate  George 
Washington,  with  presents  to  the  Dey  of  Algiers.  On  his  arri- 
val there,  he  was  anxiously  solicited  to  convey  an  ambassador 
with  presents  from  the  Dey  to  the  Grand  Seignior,  at  Constan- 
tinople. To  this  he  reluctantly  consented,  and  the  sight  of  an 
American  frigate  struck  the  wondering  Turks  with  astonish- 
ment. They  were  unable  to  comprehend  where  this  country, 
called  the  New  World,  was  situated,  but  being  pleased  with  a 
visit  from  such  a  stranger,  they  gave  Captain  Bainbridge  a 
most  cordial  welcome,  treating  him  with  the  greatest  respect. 
The  Algerine  ambassador  was,  on  the  contrary,  repelled  with 
indignity  by  the  pacha,  his  presents  refused,  and  he  not  per- 
mitted to  land,  on  account  of  the  depredations  on  the  com- 
merce of  nations  in  amity  with  the  Porte,  committed  by  the 
Dey. 

Captain  Bainbridge,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Clarke,  the  cele- 
brated traveler,  and  many  other  persons  of  distinction,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Black  Sea  in  his  long  boat,  where  he  had  the 
honor  of  displaying  "  the  star-spangled  banner"  for  the  first 
time.     On  his  return  to  Constantinople,  he  gave  a  splendid 


COMMODORE    BAINBRIDGE.  231 

entertainment  on  board  his  frigate,  and  beheld,  among  his 
distinguished  guests,  natives  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe 
mino^led  tog^ether  at  the  same  table.  This  visit  to  Constanti- 
nople  opened  the  way  to  subsequent  negotiations  and  friendly 
intercourse,  besides  leaving  a  favorable  impression  of  the 
American  character.  On  the  return  of  Bainbridore  to  iVlgiers, 
he  found  that  war  had  been  declared  against  France,  and  that 
the  French  consul  and  citizens  had  been  ordered  to  leave  forth- 
with. To  save  them  from  captivity  he  received  them  all  on 
board  his  ship,  and  landed  them  at  Alicant,  on  his  return  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  arrived  in  April,  1801.  In  the  follow- 
ing June,  he  was  ordered  again  to  the  Mediterranean,  to  pro- 
tect our  commerce  against  the  Tripolitans.  After  remaining 
there  a  year,  he  returned  in  1802;  and  in  July,  1803,  sailed 
to  join  the  squadron  under  Commodore  Preble. 

This  voyage  he  sailed  in  the  frigate  Philadelphia,  which 
had  been  built  by  the  merchants  of  that  city,  and  by  them 
presented  to  the  government. 

An  able  historian  has  described  the  loss  of  this  beautiful 
ship  in  the  following  lines  :  "  While  Commodore  Preble  was 
engaged  in  negotiation.  Captain  Bainbridge  proceeded  to 
blockade  Tripoli  with  the  Philadelphia  and  Vixen.  Being 
informed  that  a  Tripolitan  cruiser  had  escaped  from  the  port, 
the  Vixen  was  ordered  to  cruise  off  Cape  Bon,  in  quest  of  her. 
After  her  departure,  the  Philadelphia  was  driven  from  her 
cruising  ground  by  strong  westerly  gales;  but  the  wind  com- 
ing round  to  the  eastward,  she  was  returning  to  her  station, 
when  a  strange  ship  was  discovered  in  shore,  and  running  for 
the  harbor  of  Tripoli.  The  Philadelphia  gave  chase,  and 
when  about  four  knots,  she  ran  upon  -a  reef  of  rocks  which 
were  unknown  to  our  navigators  in  that  sea.  This  unfortu- 
nate event  occurred  on  the  morning  of  the  31st  of  October. 
Every  exertion  was  made  to  float  the  ship  by  throwing  over- 


232  COMMODORE    BAINBRIDGE. 

board  the  guns  and  anchors,  starting  the  water,  and  cutting 
away  the  fore-mast,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  gun  boats  came 
out  of  the  harbor  and  fired  upon  her,  but  so  long  as  she  kept 
an  upright  position,  they  were  kept  off  by  the  few  guns  which 
could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  At  length  she  turned 
upon  her  side,  and  could  no  longer  be  defended ;  the  magazine 
was  drowned,  every  article  of  value  was  thrown  overboard, 
the  ship  skuttled,  the  pumps  choked,  and  all  this  being  ac- 
complished, the  colors  were  struck  at  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. The  officers  and  crew  were  plundered  of  everything 
valuable  on  their  persons,  before  they  reached  the  shore,  but 
were  afterwards  kindly  treated  by  the  pacha,  until  Decatur 
burnt  the  Philadelphia,  after  which  they  were  closely  con- 
fined in  the  castle,  through  fear  of  their  escape.  On  a  treaty 
being  concluded,  by  which  the  pacha  was  to  receive  sixty 
thousand  dollars,  they  were  liberated."  From  this  period  till 
the  declaration  of  war  in  1812,  Captain  Bainbridge  was  occa- 
sionally employed  in  the  public  service,  either  in  the  navy 
yards  or  at  sea. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war,  Captain  Bainbridge  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Constellation  frigate;  he 
was  thence  transferred  to  the  Constitution,  on  the  arrival  of 
that  ship  at  Boston,  after  the  capture  of  the  Guerriere.  His 
destination  was  a  cruise  to  the  West  Indies  in  company  with 
the  sloop-of-war  Hornet,  Captain  Lawrence.  Having  parted 
with  the  Hornet  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  he  fell  in  with  the 
Java,  a  British  frigate  of  forty-nine  guns,  commanded  by 
Captain  Lambert,  with  a  crew  of  more  than  four  hundred 
men,  and  upwards  of  one  hundred  officers  and  men,  intended 
for  ships  on  the  East  India  station,  together  with  a  lieutenant- 
general  and  suite  of  the  British  army.  The  ships  were 
separated  from  each  other  about  half  a  mile,  when  the  action 
commenced,  but  they  gradually  approached  each  other  until 


COMMODORE    BAINBRIDGE.  233 

the  jib  boom  of  the  Java  came  in  contact  with  the  mizzen  rig- 
ging of  the  Constitution.  The  contest,  which  lasted  nearly 
two  hours,  only  terminated  when  the  last  spar  of  the  Java  had 
gone  by  the  board. 

After  the  British  frigate  had  struck,  the  Constitution  wore 
and  reefed  top-sails.  One  of  the  only  two  remaining  boats  out 
of  eight,  was  then  hoisted  out,  and  Lieutenant  Parker,  of  the 
Constitution,  was  sent  to  take  possession  of  the  frigate.  She 
proved  to  be  his  Britannic  majesty's  frigate  Java,  rating  thirty- 
eight,  but  carrying  forty-nine  guns.  She  was  manned  by  up- 
wards of  four  hundred  men,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Lambert,  a  very  distinguished  naval  officer,  who  was  mortally 
wounded.  The  Constitution  had  nine  men  killed,  and  twenty- 
five  wounded.  The  Java  had  sixty  killed  and  one  hundred 
and  one  wounded.  But,  by  a  letter  written  on  board  the  Con- 
stitution, by  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Java,  and  accidentally 
found,  it  is  evident  her  loss  must  have  been  much  greater 
He  states  it  to  have  been  sixty  killed,  and  one  hundred  and 
seventy  wounded. 

The  Java  had  her  own  full  complement  of  men,  and  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  supernumeraries,  for  British  ships  in  the 
East  Indies.  Her  force,  in  number  of  men,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  action,  was  probably  much  greater  than  the  offi- 
cers of  the  Constitution  were  enabled  to  ascertain.  Her  officers 
were  extremely  cautious  about  concealing  the  number  of  her 
crew.  By  her  quarter-bill  she  had  one  man  more  stationed  at 
each  gun  than  the  Constitution. 

The  Java  was  an  important  ship.  She  was  fitted  out  in  the 
most  complete  manner  to  carry  Lieutenant-General  Hyslop 
and  staff  to  Bombay,  of  which  place  he  had  been  appointed 
governor,  and  several  naval  officers  for  different  vessels  in  the 
East  Indies.  She  had  dispatches  for  St.  Helena,  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  for  every  British  settlement  in  the  India  and 
30 


234  COMMODORE    BAINBRIDGE. 

Chinese  seas.  She  had  copper  on  board  for  a  seventy-four, 
and  for  two  brigs,  biiilding  at  Bombay,  and  a  number  of  other 
valuable  articles. 

The  great  distance  from  the  United  States,  and  the  disabled 
state  of  the  Java,  forebade  the  idea  of  attempting  to  bring 
her  to  the  United  States.  No  alternative  was  therefore  left, 
but  to  burn  her,  which  was  done,  after  the  prisoners  and 
their  property  were  removed  to  the  Constitution.  They  were 
all  landed  at  St.  Salvador  and  parolled. 

The  commander  of  the  Java,  Captain  Lambert,  died  soon 
after  he  was  put  on  shore.  Commodore  Bainbridge  was  re- 
ceived by  his  countrymen,  on  his  return  to  the  United  States, 
with  every  demonstration  of  joy  and  esteem  that  his  gallant 
exploit  merited. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States  voted  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  their  thanks  to  Commodore  Bainbridge,  his  officers, 
and  crew.  They  likewise  ordered  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate 
X.,)  to  be  presented  to  him,  and  silver  ones  to  each  of  his  offi- 
cers, in  token  of  their  esteem.  The  citizens  of  Philadelphia 
presented  him  with  an  elegant  piece  of  plate,  and  the  common 
council  of  New  York  voted  to  him  the  freedom  of  their  city, 
in  a  gold  box ;  and  ordered  that  his  portrait  be  obtained,  and 
placed  in  the  gallery  of  portraits  belonging  to  the  city.  The 
Constitution  now  became  an  object  of  national  pride,  and  hav- 
ing seen  so  much  service,  with  so  little  injury,  during  her  nu- 
merous encounters,  that  she  acquired  the  popular  sobriquet  of 
"  Old  Ironsides."  At  the  conclusion  of  the  war.  Commodore 
Bainbridge  went  again  to  the  Mediterranean,  in  command  of 
the  Columbus,  seventy-four,  which  w^as  the  last  of  his  services 
at  sea.  He  commanded  for  several  years,  at  the  different 
naval  stations,  till  his  health  became  infirm,  when  he  retired 
to  Philadelphia,  and  breathed  his  last  on  the  27th  of  July, 
1833. 


COMMODORE    BAINBRIDGE.  235 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  British  frigate  Java. 

Device. — A  bust  of  Captain  Bainbridge. 

Legend. — Gulielmus  Bainbridge  patria  victisque  laudatus. 

Reverse. — A  ship  with  three  stumps  only  of  her  masts 
standing ;  the  American  ship  with  but  a  few  shot  holes  in  her 
sails. 

Legend. — Pugnando. 

Exergue. — Inter  Const,  nav.  Ameri.  et  Java  nav.  Angl. 
29th  December,  1812. 


OLIVER    HAZAED    PERRY. 


The  hero  of  the  following  memoir  was  born  in  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  August,  1785.  His  father,  who  also  was  in 
the  service  of  the  United  States,  anxious  that  his  son  should 
lead  a  seafaring  life,  obtained  for  him  a  commission  as  mid- 
shipman on  board  of  the  sloop-of-war  General  Greene,  in 
1798,  at  a  time  when  our  commercial  difficulties  with  France 
caused  much  excitement.  Perry  soon  after  joined  the  squad- 
ron for  the  Mediterranean. 

He  served  during  the  Tripolitan  war,  and  though  debarred, 
by  his  extreme  youth,  from  an  opportunity  of  distinguishing 
himself,  he  acquired  by  his  conduct  the  regard  and  esteem  of 
his  superior  officers  and  the  affection  of  his  associates.  Being 
at  all  times  willing  to  be  instructed,  and  most  anxious  to  ex- 
cel, he  became  very  early  in  life  an  accomplished  officer  and 
navigator.  In  1810  he  w^as  commissioned  as  lieutenant  com- 
mandant in  the  schooner  Revenge,  attached  to  the  squadron 
of  Commodore  Rogers,  on  Long  Island  Sound,  to  prevent 
infractions  of  the  embargo  laws.  During  his  command  of 
this  vessel,  a  circumstance  occurred  which  first  tried  the  cha- 


rialclL 


^^  W^ 


\r/.  Orri'thy    r. 


OLIVER    HAZARD    PERRY.  237 

racter  of  our  young  hero,  though  in  the  end  it  proved  of  advan- 
tage to  him.  The  Revenge  was  wrecked  in  a  fog  near  Stoning- 
ton,  but  by  the  intrepidity  of  Perry,  the  crew,  guns,  and  much 
other  property  were  saved.  He  immediately  demanded  a 
court  of  inquiry  into  his  conduct,  which  acquitted  him  of  all 
blame,  and  reported,  that  the  preservation  of  so  much  property 
was  owing  solely  to  his  coolness  and  energy.  The  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  wrote  a  letter  to  Lieutenant  Perry,  compliment- 
ing his  admirable  conduct  under  such  trying  circumstances. 

In  1812  he  was  advanced  to  be  master-commandant;'  and 
in  1813  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  squadron  on 
Lake  Erie.  Early  in  August  of  that  year,  he  crossed  the 
bar  with  his  squadron,  and  was  soon  on  the  deep  waters  of  the 
lake.  The  enemy,  who  were  nearly  all  the  time  in  sight,  did 
not  molest  him,  although  they  were  strictly  watching  his 
movements.  More  than  once  he  cruised  in  sight  of  the  enemy 
while  at  anchor,  and  offered  battle ;  but  the  challenge  was  not 
accepted.  On  the  10th  of  September,  at  sunrise,  the  Ameri- 
can squadron  discovered  the  enemy  making  towards  them. 
Perry's  force  was  two  twenty-gun  brigs  and  several  smaller 
vessels,  carrying  in  all  fifty-four  guns,  and  manned  with  six 
hundred  men.  The  British  force  was  superior  both  in  guns 
and  men.  About  eleven  o'clock,  A.  M.,  the  British  w^ere 
formed  in  a  line  for  battle,  but  the  wind  veering  round.  Perry 
bore  down  upon  them  as  he  chose.  The  commander  of  the 
Lawrence  led,  from  whose  mast-head  were  displayed  the  last 
words  of  the  gallant  Captain  Lawrence,  who  fell  in  the  action 
between  the  Chesapeake  and  Shannon,  ''  Don't  give  up  the 
ship  !"  An  able  historian  thus  relates  the  conduct  of  our 
hero  durinor  this  most  excitinor  battle : — "  At  a  few  minutes 
before  twelve  o'clock  the  British  commenced  their  fire,  and 
some  damage  was  done  to  the  Lawrence  before  Perry  could 


238  OLIVER   HAZARD    PERRY. 

make  his  guns  to  bear  upon  the  enemy ;  at  length  he  open- 
ed his  battery  and  stood  the  force  of  the  enemy's  fire  for 
two  hours.  The  other  part  of  his  fleet  not  coming  to  his 
assistance,  and  the  Lawrence  becoming  unmanageable,  her 
decks  strewed  with  dead  and  her  guns  dismounted.  Perry 
conceived  a  most  bold  and  daring  design,  which  he  put  in 
execution.  Giving  the  command  of  the  Lawrence  to  Lieuten- 
ant Yarnall,  he,  with  his  flag  under  his  arm,  jumped  into  his 
boat,  and  amidst  a  shower  of  shot  from  the  enemy,  made  his 
way  to  the  Niagara,  the  second  ship  of  his  squadron.  He 
went  ofl"  from  the  Lawrence  standing  up  in  his  boat  support- 
ing his  flag,  until  his  seamen  seized  him  with  affectionate 
violence  and  pulled  him  down  to  a  seat.  His  flag  was  soon 
seen  flying  from  the  mast-head  of  the  Niagara,  and  in  this 
moment  of  extreme  peril  our  hero  was  as  calm  as  he  w^as  ad- 
venturous. He  soon  brought  his  ship  in  a  position  to  break 
the  line  of  the  enemy,  giving  two  of  their  ships  a  raking  fire 
with  his  starboard  guns,  pouring  a  broadside  into  a  schooner 
from  his  larboard  tier,  and  brought  his  ship  alongside  the 
British  commodore.  The  effect  of  his  terrific  fire  soon  silenced 
the  enemy's  battery ;  when  bringing  up  the  small  American 
vessels,  the  contest  was  decided,  having  lasted  nearly  three 
hours.  The  enemy  was  not  entirely  subdued,  but  all  his 
vessels  were  taken  and  brought  to  the  American  side  of  the 
lake.  Commodore  Barclay,  commander  of  the  British  squad- 
ron, was  a  man  of  no  ordinary  fame ;  he  had  gained  laurels  at 
the  battle  of  Trafalgar  and  other  memorable  battles  by  sea, 
wdiere  Englishmen  had  bled  and  w^on  the  victory ;  but  this 
day  his  experience  did  not  avail  him — he  was  forced  to  yield. 
The  loss  was  great  on  both  sides,  but  much  more  severe  on 
the  British.  They  had  two  hundred  killed  and  wounded,  the 
Americans  about  one  hundred  and  twenty -three." 

Commodore  Barclay  lost  his  remaining  hand  in  the  fight ; 


OLIVER    HAZARD    PERRY.  239 

xne  other  had  been  shot  oif  in  some  previous  battle.  This 
victory  has  given  Perry  a  permanent  place  in  the  history 
of  his  country,  and  his  merit  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the 
reflection,  that,  whilst  no  victory  was  ever  more  decidedly  the 
result  of  the  skill  and  valor  of  the  commander,  this  was  the 
first  action  of  the  kind  he  had  ever  seen. 

In  testimony  of  his  merit.  Commodore  Perry  received  the 
thanks  of  Congress  and  a  medal,  {see  Plate  XL,)  and  the  like 
marks  of  honor  from  the  senate  of  Pennsylvania.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  war  Commodore  Perry  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  Java,  a  frigate  of  the  first  class,  and  dis- 
patched with  Commodore  Decatur  to  the  Mediterranean,  to 
chastise  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  who,  during  the  war  with  Great 
Britain,  had  plundered  our  commerce,  and  taken  several  of  our 
small  vessels.  Perry  shortly  after  returned  to  the  United 
States,  and  the  Java  was  laid  up  at  Newport,  in  the  middle 
of  winter.  The  following  anecdote  is  related  of  him  : — "  Infor- 
mation was  hastily  brought  to  him  that  a  merchant  vessel  was 
on  a  reef,  about  five  or  six  miles  from  that  place,  and  that  the 
crew  were  still  on  the  wreck,  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds  and 
waves.  He  manned  his  barge  and  said  to  his  rowers,  '  Come, 
my  boys,  we  are  going  to  the  relief  of  shipwrecked  seamen, 
pull  away.'  They  returned  him  a  look  of  fearless  determi- 
nation, which  seemed  to  say,  where  you  go,  we  will  go.  The 
vessel  had  gone  to  pieces,  but  eleven  men  were  on  her  quarter- 
deck, which  had  separated  from  the  hull  of  the  vessel,  and 
was  floating  as  a  raft  on  the  billows.  This  act  may  not  be 
thought  to  belong  to  the  class  of  heroic  deeds  by  some,  who 
are  attracted  only  by  the  blaze  of  military  glory ;  but  the  great 
mass  of  his  countrymen  declared  that  he  was  as  deserving  of 
the  civic  as  of  the  naval  crown."  In  1819  Commodore  Perry 
received  the  command  of  a  squadron  destined  for  the  West 
India  station,  for  the  capture  of  pirates  who  swarmed  on  those 


240  OLIVER    HAZARD    PERRY. 

seas.  This  was  a  most  important  command,  and  required  the 
utmost  vigilance  and  energy ;  but  he  was  not  long  to  enjoy 
such  an  honorable  post,  for  the  yellow  fever  was  raging  in  the 
squadron,  and  of  this  disease  he  died  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1820,  in  the  thirty -fifth  year  of  his  age. 

The  remains  of  Commodore  Perry  were  brought  to  his 
native  country  and  interred  at  Newport,  where  a  handsome 
monument  has  been  erected  by  an  appropriation  from  the 
legislature  of  Rhode  Island.  Every  tribute  of  national  grief 
was  paid  to  his  memory  in  the  United  States.  Congress  made 
a  liberal  provision  for  his  family,  including  his  mother,  who 
was  leaning  on  him  for  support.  Commodore  Perry  married 
early  in  life  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Doctor  Mason,  of 
Newport,  who  made  him  a  devoted  and  affectionate  wdfe.  He 
was  a  man  of  splendid  talents,  blended  with  a  kind  and  ten- 
der heart ;  of  superior  tact  in  his  profession,  and  every  way 
fitted  for  the  position  Providence  intended  him  to  fill. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Victory  on  Lake  Erie. 
Device. — A  bust  of  Commodore  Perry. 
Legend. — Oliverus  H.  Perry,  princeps  stagno  Eriensi  clas- 
sim  totam  contudit. 

Reverse. — A  fleet  closely  engaged. 

Legend. — Viam  invenit  virtus  aut  facit. 

Exergue. — Liter  class.  Ameri.  etBrit.  Die  10th.  Sept.  1813. 


COMMODOKE    ELLIOTT 


Jesse  Duncan  Elliott  was  born  in  Maryland,  on  the  14th 
of  July,  1780.  His  father,  Robert  Elliott,  was  unfortunately 
killed  by  the  Indians  in  the  year  1794,  near  the  Muskingum 
river,  while  transacting  business  for  the  army  of  the  United 
States.  The  following  resolution  w^as  passed  by  Congress  on 
this  melancholy  event.  "  Be  it  enacted,"  &c.,  "that the  sum  of 
two  thousand  dollars  be  allowed  to  the  widow  of  Robert  Elliott, 
who  was  killed  by  a  party  of  hostile  Indians  while  he  was 
conducting  the  necessary  supplies  for  the  army  commanded 
by  Major-General  Wayne,  in  the  year  1794,"  &c.  &c.  Until 
the  year  1804,  Jesse  Elliott  was  engaged  in  prosecuting  his 
studies  at  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  w^hen  he  was  appointed  a 
midshipman  in  the  navy,  and  ordered  on  board  the  United 
States  frigate  Essex.  The  United  States  being  then  engaged 
in  a  war  with  the  Barbary  powers,  the  above-mentioned  frigate 
was  ordered  to  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean. 

The  little  force  that  Congress  w^as  enabled  to  detach  for  that 
service — their  limited  means  of  annoyance — the  treachery  and 
ferocity  of  their  barbarous  antagonists,  created  a  deep  responsi- 
bility in  the  officers,  and  conspired  to  introduce  a  system  of 
31 


242  COMMODORE    ELLIOTT. 

masculine  intrepidity,  severity  of  discipline,  and  promptitude 
of  obedience,  of  which,  even  to  the  present  hour,  we  reap  the 
benefits.     The  treachery  of  our  opponents  taught  our  men  to 
be  ever  on  the  alert,  and  their  cruelty  made  them  bold  and  reso- 
lute, even  to  rashness.    Knowing  how  much  was  expected,  and 
how  scanty  were  their  means,  they  supplied  every  deficiency 
by  skill  and  courage.     Contempt  of  danger  was  so  rigid ily  en- 
forced, that  when  one  of  our  subordinate  officers  showed  symp- 
toms of  fear  in  an  engagement,  and  ^was  tried  by  a  court 
martial,  the  commodore  assigned  for  his  acquittal,  a  reason  no 
less  curious  than  just:  viz.,  that  the  bare  supposition  that  one 
coward  existed  on  board  of  the  American  fleet  was,  of  itself, 
a  greater  injury  than  the  condemnation  of  this  man   could 
possibly  be  a  benefit,  as  it  would  establish  the  fact.    The  British 
squadron  in  the  Mediterranean  minutely  watched  the  move- 
ments of  our  little  fleet  for  the  purpose  of  sarcasm  and  jest. 
Their  sarcasms  were,  however,  soon  converted  into  expressions 
of  warm   admiration.      Amidst  such  a  band  of  brave  and 
kindred  spirits,  our  young  midshipman  learned  to  smile  at 
danger,  while  he  grew  familiar  with  it,  and  felt  his  ideas  ex- 
panded and  enlarged.      Returning  to  the  United  States,  in 
July,  1807,  he  obtained  a  lieutenancy  on  board  the  frigate 
Chesapeake,  where  he  remained  until  June,  1810,  when  he 
was  appointed  acting  lieutenant  on  board  the  schooner  Enter- 
prize,  to  cruise  on  the  coast,  and  to  enforce  the  embargo  laws. 
In  this  service  he  remained  till  1810,  when  he  was  appointed 
to  carry  dispatches  to  our  minister  at  the  court  of  Great  Britain. 
For  a  short  time  after  his  return,  he  served  in  the  John  Adams, 
from  which  he  was  transferred  to  the  Argus,  as  first  lieutenant. 
On  the  5th  of  April,  1812,  he  married  the  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Vaughan,  Esquire,  of  Norfolk,  Virginia.      He  had  no 
sooner  entered  that  happy  state,  than  he  was  obliged  to  relin- 
quish the  sweets  of  domestic  life  for  the  hardier  scenes  of  bat- 


COMMODORE    ELLIOTT.  243 

tie.  War  was  declared  against  England,  and  he,  with  all 
speed,  repaired  to  New  York,  to  rejoin  the  vessel  from  which, 
he  had  been  furloughed,  and  to  his  mortification,  found  that 
she  had  already  sailed.  Commodore  Chauncey,  being  on 
the  eve  of  departing  on  a  secret  and  novel  expedition,  to 
which  he  cordially  assented,  had  applied  to  the  proper  de- 
partment to  receive  his  instructions.  Lieutenant  Elliott  was 
immediately  appointed  to  the  command  on  Lake  Erie,  and 
received  orders  to  repair  thither,  with  all  possible  dispatch, 
purchase  what  private  vessels  he  could,  build  two  ships  of 
twenty  guns,  and  as  early  as  possible  have  his  fleet  in  readi- 
ness to  meet  that  of  the  enemy.  Lieutenant  Elliott,  aware  of 
the  importance  of  the  command  of  the  lakes  in  our  war  against 
Canada,  and  the  difficulty  and  delay  which  would  attend  the 
building  of  the  vessels,  to  say  nothing  of  the  expense,  had 
purchased  some  vessels,  but  was  much  embarrassed  with 
the  difficulty  in  getting  up  the  Niagara,  and  into  the  lake. 
After  revolving  in  his  mind  all  these  obstacles,  he  formed 
the  resolution  of  boarding  and  capturing  two  British  brigs-of- 
war,  called  the  Detroit  and  Caledonia,  lying  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  batteries  of  Fort  Erie. 

He  accordingly  embarked  in  two  boats,  with  fifty  men  in 
each,  and  put  off  from  the  mouth  of  Buffalo  creek,  and  at  one 
o'clock  in  the  morning  came  along  side  of  the  enemy. 

He  boarded,  and  captured  the  two  vessels,  and  secured  all 
the  prisoners  in  ten  minutes.  Unfortunately  the  wind  was 
not  strong  enough  to  enable  him  to  make  head  against  the  ra- 
pid current  in  the  lake.  He  was  compelled  to  anchor  opposite 
the  enemy's  forts,  within  four  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  their 
batteries,  exposed  to  a  heavy  and  incessant  fire  of  round,  grape 
and  canister  shot,  from  a  number  of  pieces  of  heavy  ord- 
nance, and  their  flying  artillery. 

The  Caledonia  was,  however,  beyond   the   reach   of  the 


244  COMMODORE    ELLIOTT. 

enemy's  guns,  under  one  of  the  batteries  at  Black  Rock. 
Lieutenant  Elliott  ordered  all  the  guns  of  the  Detroit  to  be 
mounted  on  one  side,  whence  he  kept  up  a  constant  fire  against 
the  enemy's  batteries  as  long  as  his  ammunition  lasted.  He 
determined  then  to  drop  down  the  river  out  of  reach  of 
their  cannon,  and  make  a  stand  against  the  flying  artillery. 
At  this  instant,  he  discovered,  for  the  first  time,  that  his  pilot 
had  deserted  him.  He,  however,  cut  the  cable,  and  falling 
astern,  made  good  his  way  to  Square  Island.  He  sent  the 
boarding  boat  ashore  with  the  prisoners,  himself  and  four 
others  only  remaining  in  the  Detroit,  directing  the  oflScer  to 
return  for  him,  and  what  property  they  might  be  able  to  save 
from  the  brig. 

The  officer  was  unable  to  return  on  account  of  the  rapidity 
of  the  current.  At  length,  discovering  a  skiff"  under  the  stern, 
he  made  for  the  shore  in  her  with  the  remaining  part  of  the 
crew. 

During  all  this  time,  an  incessant  fire  was  kept  up  from  both 
sides  of  the  river,  on  the  brig. 

She  received  twelve  shots  of  large  dimensions  in  her  bends, 
her  sails  were  reduced  to  ribbons,  and  her  rigging  cut  to 
pieces.  Finding  all  attempts  to  carry  off"  the  Detroit  were  un- 
availing, he  dismantled  her  of  all  her  ordnance  and  stores,  and 
set  her  on  fire.  The  Caledonia  was  found  to  be  a  vessel  belong- 
ing to  the  Northwest  Company,  loaded  with  peltry.  Lieutenant 
Elliott's  party  consisted  of  one  hundred  men.  He  was  fortu- 
nate enough  to  capture  one  hundred  and  thirty  prisoners  with 
their  officers,  and  to  release  from  captivity  forty  of  his  own 
countrymen,  belonging  to  the  fourth  United  States  regiment. 
Lieutenant  Elliott,  on  boarding,  opposed  three  of  the  enemy 
with  no  other  weapon  than  his  cutlass.  During  the  hottest  of 
the  fire  from  the  batteries,  a  cannon  shot  passed  through,  and 
striking  a  large  silver  wedge  deposited  in  a  trunk  belonging 


COMMODORE    ELLIOTT.  245 

to  one  of  the  officers,  bent  it  double.  This  wedge  is  still  pre- 
served as  a  curiosity.  As  a  proof  of  the  gallantry  displayed 
in  this  exploit,  Congress  presented  to  Lieutenant  Elliott  a 
splendid  sword,  with  suitable  emblems  and  devices,  in  testi- 
mony of  the  just  sense  entertained  by  that  body,  of  his  gal- 
lantry and  brave  conduct  in  boarding,  and  capturing  the 
British  brigs  Detroit  and  Caledonia,  while  anchored  under 
the  protection  of  Fort  Erie. 

Shortly  after  this  brilliant  exploit.  Lieutenant  Elliott  joined 
Commodore  Chauncey  at  Sacket's  Harbor,  and  proceeded  with 
six  schooners,  in  quest  of  the  enemy's  fleet.     The  next  day 
he  fell  in  with  the  Royal  George,  and  followed  her  into  Kings- 
ton channel,  where  he  engaged  her  and  the  batteries  for  an 
hour  and  three-quarters,  and  determined  to  board  her  in  the 
nio-ht,  but  from   adverse  winds,  the  pilot  refused   to   take 
charge  of  the  vessels;  and  the  commodore  was  reluctantly 
compelled  to  forego  his  determination.      Lieutenant  Elliott, 
shortly  after,  was  promoted   over   thirty  lieutenants  to  the 
rank  of  master-commandant,  and   having   the  command  of 
the  Madison  in  Commodore  Chauncey's  fleet,  in  the  prepara- 
tion for  the  attack  on  York,  Upper  Canada,  he   discovered 
that  the   ships  could  not  be  brought  into  action  from  the 
shoalness  of  the  water.     He  asked,  and  obtained  the  com- 
modore's permission  to  lead  the  small  vessels  employed  in 
covering  the  troops  while  they  were  landing  and  attacking 
the  batteries.     The  troops  under  General  Dearborne,  amount- 
ing to  seventeen  hundred  men,  were  embarked  on  board  Com- 
modore Chauncey's   fleet,  and   arrived  at  York,  while  the 
squadron  taking  a  position  to  the  westward  and  southward  of 
the  fort,  covered  the  debarkation  of  the  troops.     The  rifle- 
men landed  under  a  heavy  fire,  and  seven  hundred  regulars, 
with  one  hundred  Indians,  marched  to  oppose  the  landing  of 
the  American  army.     General  Pike,  with  seven  hundred  men, 


240  COMMODORE    ELLIOTT. 

having  effected  a  landing,  routed  the  enemy,  and  pushed  direct 
for  the  principal  batteries.  At  this  time  the  enemy  blew  up 
his  magazine,  and  during  the  confusion  precipitately  retreated. 
Thirty-eight  of  our  men  were  killed  by  this  explosion,  amongst 
whom  we  have  to  lament  the  gallant  Pike,  and  two  hundred 
and  thirty  were  w^ounded.  The  town  surrendered  by  capitu- 
lation, and  Captain  Elliott  was  appointed  by  Commodore 
Chauncey  to  see  that  the  articles  were  carried  into  execution 
on  the  part  of  the  navy. 

In  the  beginning  of  August,  1813,  Captain  Elliott  was 
directed  to  proceed  to  Lake  Erie  and  take  the  command  of 
the  Niagara,  under  the  orders  of  Commodore  Perry.  The 
battle  of  Lake  Erie,  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  the 
entire  fleet  of  the  enemy,  was  fought  on  the  10th  of  Septem- 
ber following.  Of  the  conduct  of  Captain  Elliott  on  this 
occasion,  it  will  suffice  to  state  here,  that  Commodore  Perry, 
in  his  official  account  of  the  battle,  dated  September  13th, 
said,  "  Of  Captain  Elliott,  already  so  well  known  to  the 
government,  it  would  be  almost  superfluous  to  speak.  In 
this  action  he  evinced  his  characteristic  bravery  and  judg- 
ment, and  since  the  close  of  the  action  has  given  me  the  most 
able  and  essential  assistance." 

Let  the  highest  authority  known  to  our  laws  speak  for 
themselves,  on  this  occasion.  Congress  passed  the  following 
resolution : — "  Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  United 
States  be  requested  to  cause  gold  medals  to  be  struck,  em- 
blematic of  the  action  between  the  two  squadrons,  and  to  be 
presented  to  Captain  Perry  and  to  Captain  Jesse  Elliott,  in 
such  manner  most  agreeable  to  them,"  &c.     {See  Plate  XL) 

In  October  following.  Commodore  Perry  left  the  lake  ser- 
vice, and  Captain  Elliott  succeeded  him  in  the  command  of 
the  naval  forces  on  Lake  Erie.  On  this  station  he  did  not 
remain  long,  but  at  his  own  request,  he  obtained  the  com- 


COMMODORE    ELLIOTT.  247 

mand  of  the  sloop-of-war  Ontario.  Peace  with  Great  Britain 
being  proclaimed,  Captain  ElHott,  in  the  Ontario,  joined  the 
squadron  which  sailed  in  the  spring  of  1815  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean to  exact  reparation  from  the  Barbary  powers  for  inju- 
ries to  our  commerce.  This  service  being  performed,  he 
returned  to  his  own  country  and  remained  with  his  own  fami- 
ly until  1817.  From  that  time  until  1824  he  was  employed  as 
one  of  the  commissioners  to  examine  the  coast  of  the  United 
States.  From  1825  to  1827,  with  a  promotion  to  captain  in 
the  navy,  he  commanded  the  United  States  ship  Cyane,  cruis- 
ing on  the  coasts  of  Brazil  and  Buenos  Ayres,  to  protect  our 
commerce  in  that  quarter.  Captain  Elliott's  next  appointment 
in  1829,  w^as  to  the  command  of  the  squadron  on  the  West 
India  station,  consisting,  besides  the  Peacock,  of  five  sloops- 
of-war  and  two  schooners.  On  this  station  he  remained  three 
years.  In  1833  he  was  appointed  to  the  charge  of  the  navy 
yard  at  Charlestown,  Massachusetts.  In  1835  he  sailed  for 
the  Mediterranean  to  take  command  of  the  squadron  there ; 
and  during  the  several  years  spent  in  that  service,  he  visited 
some  of  the  most  interesting  parts  of  the  world,  of  Italy,  Greece, 
Constantinople,  Palestine,  Egypt,  &c.  &c.,  at  the  same  time 
making  collections  of  such  objects  of  curiosity  as  would  add 
to  the  interest  of  our  institutions.  After  several  years'  absence 
from  the  United  States,  he  returned,  and  in  November,  1844, 
was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Philadelphia  navy  yard. 
His  health  soon  after  began  to  decline,  and  he  died  on  the  10th 
of  December,  1845.  Commodore  Elliott  was  a  strict  disci- 
plinarian, yet  his  personal  friends  can  bear  unequivocal  testi- 
mony to  the  amiability  of  his  deportment  in  his  intercourse 
through  life.  The  excellence  of  his  private  character  w^as 
never  called  in  question.  His  correspondence  at  different 
times  with  the  functionaries  of  foreign  governments,  was 
highly  creditable  to  him.     He  possessed  much  useful  know- 


248  COMMODORE    ELLIOTT. 

ledge,  the  result  as  well  of  his  own  observation  as  of  his  read- 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

To  Captain  Jesse  Duncan  Elliott,  of  Baltimore,  second  in 
command,  for  gallantry  in  the  action  on  Lake  Erie.  Decreed 
January  6th,  1814. 

Occasion. — Victory  on  Lake  Erie. 

Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Elliott. 

Legend.  —  Jesse  D.  Elliott,  nil  actum  reputans  si  quid 
supresset  agendum. 

Reverse. — A  fleet  engaged. 

Legend. — Viam  invenit  virtus  aut  facit. 

Exergue. — Inter  class  Ameri.  et  Brit.  Die  10th  Sept., 
1813. 


LIEUT.    WILLIAM    BURROWS. 


William  Burrows  was  born  at  Kenderton,  near  Philadel- 
phia, on  the  6th  of  October,  1785.  His  father  was  wealthy, 
and  not  wishing  to  confine  the  genius  of  his  son  to  any  par- 
ticular pursuit,  apprehending  that  his  wealth  was  amply  suffi- 
cient to  the  support  of  his  son  in  the  style  and  character  of  a 
gentleman,  he  was  accordingly  left  principally  to  his  own 
guidance,  dallying  with  books  as  he  would  with  toys,  regard- 
ing them  rather  as  matters  of  amusement  than  as  objects  of 
serious  concern. 

Knowing  how  essential  to  the  character  of  a  gentleman  it 
was  to  become  familiar  with  the  living  languao^es,  his  father 
warmly  exhorted  him  to  turn  his  attention  to  them ;  in  this  he 
but  partially  succeeded.  To  the  French  language  he  betrayed 
an  insurmountable  reluctance.  In  the  acquisition  of  German, 
Burrows  was  more  successful,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years 
he  could  converse  in  that  language  with  great  fluency.  This 
may  be  considered  as  the  broad  outline  of  his  early  years,  as 
far  as  regards  those  pursuits  which  often  have  an  important 
bearing  in  the  formation  of  the  future  character  of  tlie  man. 
32 


250  LIEUTENANT   WILLIAM    BURROWS. 

In  a  boy  so  amiable,  so  retiring  and  reserved,  little  did  his 
parents  dream  that  the  flame  of  ambition  had  ignited  that 
bosom,  and  was  burning  strong  and  intense.  This  passion, 
which  he  had  guarded  with  such  scrupulous  and  jealous  care, 
was  discovered  by  his  father  by  an  incident  which  afforded 
an  outlet  to  those  passions  which  had  so  long  occupied  his 
musing  and  solitary  hours.  He  was  receiving  instructions  in 
drawing,  but  none  seemed  to  arrest  the  attention  of  Burrows 
but  the  delineation  of  a  ship  of  w^ar.  With  astonishment  and 
regret  his  father  discovered  the  cause  of  his  contemplations  in 
retirement,  and  that  indifference  w^hich  he  discovered  to  his 
allotted  studies  and  pursuits.  He  labored  to  give  his  ambition 
another  turn,  but  so  deeply  rooted  was  his  passion  for  ocean 
chivalry,  that  his  efforts  were  unavailing  ;  he,  therefore,  found 
it  best  to  lend  his  aid  towards  the  gratification  of  a  passion  he 
was  incapable  of  repressing,  and  accordingly  seconded  his  ap- 
plication to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for  an  appointment,  and 
Burrows  was  appointed  a  midshipman  in  November,  1799. 
He  now  devoted  his  hours  to  the  study  of  navigation,  but  the 
requisite  proficiency  could  not  be  made  in  so  short  a  time,  for 
in  January,  1800,  he  received  orders  to  repair  on  board  the 
sloop-of-war  Portsmouth,  Captain  McNeil,  bound  to  France. 

The  Portsmouth  did  not  return  to  the  United  States  for 
nearly  a  year.  Burrows  now  became  sensible  of  the  neces- 
sity of  becoming  better  acquainted  with  his  preparatory 
studies,  and  obtained  a  furlough  for  the  purpose  of  applying 
himself  to  the  science  of  navigation  with  renewed  ardor. 
From  1800  to  1803,  he  served  on  board  different  ships  of  war, 
in  cruises,  some  of  a  longer  and  some  of  a  shorter  date,  unim- 
portant as  far  as  regards  the  glory  of  the  navy.  This  was,  not- 
withstanding, a  necessary  school,  which  prepared  him  for  more 
important  services. 

In  the  year  1803  he  was  transferred  to  the  frigate  Consti- 


LIEUTENANT   WILLIAM   BURROWS.  251 

tution,  bound  to  the  Mediterranean,  commanded  by  Commo- 
dore Preble.  This  officer,  famous  for  his  sagacity  in  the 
discernment  of  character,  soon  discovered  in  our  young 
midshipman,  under  a  cold  and  repelling  exterior,  a  character 
of  noble  and  intrepid  daring,  waiting  only  a  proper  season 
to  burst  forth  in  all  its  resplendence.  Under  these  impres- 
sions. Burrows  was  appointed  an  acting  lieutenant,  in  which 
character  he  served  during  the  war  with  Tripoli.  In  1807, 
Lieutenant  Burrows  returned  from  the  Mediterranean,  and  in 
the  following  year  he  was  attached  to  the  Philadelphia  station, 
and  employed  in  the  bay  and  river  Delaware,  as  commander 
of  gun-boat  No.  119.  It  became  then  his  duty  to  enforce  a 
rigid  observance  of  the  embargo  law\  In  a  service  at  once  so 
delicate  and  invidious,  he  exhibited  traits  of  character  by 
which  he  was  enabled  to  make  a  painful  duty  an  amusement. 
The  inhabitants  found,  while  the  law^s  of  the  Union  w^ere 
enforced,  that  this  was  done  from  higher  and  more  honorable 
motives  than  personal  hostility  towards  them.  His  moments 
of  relaxation  from  duty  were  sedulously  devoted  to  the  ac- 
quisition of  their  confidence  and  good-will,  and  to  render  the 
obligations  imposed  upon  him,  by  duty,  less  painful,  irritating 
and  severe.  Alternately  preventing  the  least  infractions  of  the 
law,  and  then  becoming,  at  their  tables,  a  hospitable  guest,  he 
was  enabled  to  conciliate  the  esteem,  while  he  rigidly  enforced 
the  duties  of  his  office.  In  1809  he  joined  the  President 
under  Captain  Bainbridge.  From  this  ship  he  was  transferred 
to  the  sloop-of-war  Hornet,  as  first  lieutenant,  under  Captain 
Hunt.  In  a  dangerous  and  heavy  gale,  his  brother  officers 
have  reported  that,  by  his  superior  skill  and  intrepidity  as  an 
officer,  the  ship  and  the  crew  were  both  preserved  from  what 
they  deemed  inevitable  destruction.  In  1812  he  found  his 
circumstances  w^ere  embarrassed,  and  that  it  w^as  indispensa- 
ble to  extricate  himself  in  the  best  possible  way.     He  accord- 


252  LIEUTENANT   WILLIAM    BURROWS. 

ingly  applied  for  a  furlough,  which  was  granted,  and  he  went 
on  board  the  merchant-ship,  Thomas  Penrose,  from  Philadel- 
phia, bound  to  Canton,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Ansley. 
On  the  return  passage  the  ship  w^as  captured  and  carried  into 
Barbadoes ;  Lieutenant  Burrows  arrived  in  the  United  States 
in  June,  1813. 

Soon  after  his  return.  Lieutenant  Burrows  took  the  com- 
mand of  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  Enterprise,  and  left 
the  harbor  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  on  the  5th  of 
September.  On  the  follow^ing  day  he  fell  in  with  his  Bri- 
tannic majesty's  brig  Boxer,  mounting  sixteen  eighteen  pound 
carronades  and  two  long  nine  pounders.  The  Boxer  fired  a 
shot  as  a  challenge,  hoisted  English  colors,  and  immediately 
bore  down  upon  the  Enterprise.  The  American  vessel  was 
now  employed  in  tacking  and  making  preparations  for  action. 
Having  obtained  the  weather-gage,  she  manoeuvred  for  some 
time  to  try  her  sailing,  and  to  ascertain  the  force  of  her  an- 
tagonist. At  length  she  shortened  sail,  hoisted  three  ensigns, 
and  fired  three  shot  in  answer  to  the  challenge.  The  action 
now  grew  warm ;  the  Boxer  bore  within  half-pistol  shot  of 
the  Enterprise,  and,  giving  three  cheers,  fired  her  starboard 
broadside.  She  was  answered  by  three  cheers  and  a  larboard 
broadside  from  the  Enterprise,  and  the  action  became  general. 

The  Enterprise,  having  the  advantage  of  the  wind,  ranged 
ahead  of  her  enemy,  rounded  to  on  the  larboard  tack,  and 
commenced  a  raking  broadside.  The  enemy's  main-topsail 
and  topsail  yards  came  down,  and  the  Enterprise,  taking  a 
position  on  the  starboard  bow  of  the  Boxer,  and  opening  a 
raking  fire,  compelled  the  enemy  to  cry  for  quarter.  Their 
colors  were  nailed  to  the  mast  and  could  not  be  hauled  down. 
This  action  lasted  for  forty-five  minutes,  during  which  time 
the  Boxer  received  much  damage  in  sails,  rigging,  spars  and 
hull.     The  Enterprise  had  but  one  eighteen  pound  shot  in  her 


LIEUTENANT    WILLIAM    BURROWS.  253 

hull,  one  in  her  main-mast,  and  one  in  her  fore-mast.  Her 
sails  were  much  cut  with  grape  shot,  and  a  great  number  of 
grape  were  lodged  in  her  side.  The  Boxer  had  twenty 
eighteen  pound  shot  in  her  hull,  most  of  them  at  the  water's 
edge,  with  several  stands  of  eighteen  pound  grape  in  her  side. 
Lieutenant  M'Call  states  our  loss  to  have  been  four  killed,  and 
ten  wounded. 

The  number  killed  on  board  the  Boxer  is  uncertain.  The 
same  officer  states,  from  the  best  information  which  he  was 
able  to  procure,  that  there  were,  of  the  enemy,  between  twenty 
and  tw^enty-five  killed,  and  fourteen  wounded. 

At  the  very  first  fire,  Lieutenant  Burrows  was  mortally 
wounded  by  a  musket  ball.  He  refused,  notwithstanding,  to 
be  carried  below,  and  during  the  whole  of  the  action  his  life's 
blood  was  streaming  on  the  deck.  With  his  dying  lips  he  re- 
quested that  the  flag  might  never  be  struck.  When  the  sword 
of  his  gallant  enemy  was  presented  to  him,  he  clasped  his 
hands  together,  and  exclaimed,  "I  am  satisfied!  I  die  content- 
ed !"  He  was  then  carried  below,  and  expired  shortly  after. 
The  bodies  of  Captain  Blyth  of  the  Boxer,  and  of  Lieutenant 
Burrows,  were  conveyed  to  Portland  and  interred  at  the  same 
time  with  all  the  honors  due  to  their  rank  and  character. 
Having  paid  the  debt  which  they  owed  to  their  respective 
countries,  they  now  slumber  side  by  side,  awaiting  the  day  of 
the  resurrection  together.  The  following  resolution  was  unani- 
mously passed  by  both  houses  of  Congress. 

"  Resolved,  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  in  Congress  assembled : 

''  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  to  pre- 
sent to  the  nearest  male  relative  of  Lieutenant  Burrows,  of  the 
brig  Enterprise,  a  gold  medal,  {see  Plate  XL,)  with  suitable  em- 
blems and  devices,  in  testimony  of  the  high  sense  entertained 
by  Congress,  of  the  gallantry  and  good  conduct  of  the  officers 


254  LIEUTENANT   WILLIAM   BURROWS. 

and  crew,  in  the  conflict  with  the  British  sloop  Boxer,  on  the 
4th  of  September,  1813." 

It  is  rare  to  find  a  character  more  distinctly  defined  than 
that  of  Lieutenant  Burrows.  He  could  accommodate  him- 
self to  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed,  and  sus- 
pend the  exercise  of  a  darling  passion,  when  the  season 
would  not  admit  of  its  indulgence.  His  heroism  maintained 
a  long  and  obstinate  contest  with  the  king  of  terrors,  and 
he  was  only  cold  and  insensible  to  the  charms  of  glory, 
when  he  was  invested  with  the  coldness  and  insensibility  of 
death.  It  is  much  to  be  lamented  that  no  likeness  of  this  dis- 
tinguished young  officer  now  exists.  The  mind,  in  cases  like 
the  present,  labors  to  supply  the  defect,  and  to  form  for  itself 
a  sort  of  sensible  image,  for  we  never  read  of  high  and 
illustrious  actions  without  associating  them  with  a  body. 

MONUMENT  OF  BURROWS. 

The  following  record  must  be  read  by  every  American,  with 
pride  and  pleasure,  at  such  an  instance  of  liberality  and  honora- 
ble munificence  to  the  memory  of  the  brave. 

A  gentleman  from  New  York,  Matthew  L.  Davis,  Esquire, 
while  passing  through  Portland,  some  time  since  on  a  tour 
eastward,  had  accidentally  taken  a  walk  into  the  burying- 
ground.  His  attention  was  attracted  to  the  neglected  grave  of 
the  late  Captain  Burrows.  The  only  guide  to  the  spot,  where 
is  deposited  one  who  had  so  much  heroic  merit,  and  who  de- 
served so  much  of  his  country,  was  the  tombstone  of  his  de- 
ceased competitor.  Captain  Blyth,  of  the  Boxer,  w^hich  had 
been  but  recently  erected  by  the  surviving  officers  of  that 
ship.  The  thought  was  instant.  Mr.  Davis  immediately  gave 
orders  for  an  elegant  marble  monument  to  be  erected  over  the 
grave  of  Burrow^s,  without  the  sparing  of  labor  or  expense. 


LIEUTENANT   WILLIAM    BURROWS.  255 

It  was  done !  and  its  style  of  execution  does  credit  to  the 
ingenious  artist,  and  the  inscription  is  highly  creditable  to  the 
taste,  judgment,  and  modesty  of  the  generous  donor,  and 
worthy  the  hero  whom  it  is  designed  to  commemorate. 

THE  TOMB  OF  BURROWS. 

I  saw  the  green  turf  resting  cold 

On  Burrows'  hallow'd  grave  ; 
No  stone  the  inquiring  patriot  told 

Where  slept  the  good  and  brave. 
Heaven's  rain  and  dew  conspired  to  blot 
The  traces  of  the  holy  spot. 

No  flow'rets  deck'd  the  little  mound, 

That  moulder'd  on  his  breast, 
Nor  rural  maidens,  gathering  round, 

His  tomb  with  garlands  drest ; 
But  sporting  children  thoughtless  trod 
On  valor's  consecrated  sod. 

I  mourn'd,  who  for  his  country  bleeds 

Should  be  forgot  so  soon. 
That  fairest  fame  and  brightest  deeds 

Should  want  a  common  boon. 
But  oh!  the  rich  have  hearts  of  steel, 
And  what  can  Penury  more  than  feel.'' 

At  length  "  a  passing  stranger"  came 

Whose  hand  its  bounties  shed  ; 
He  bade  the  sparkling  marble  claim 

A  tribute  for  the  dead : 
And,  sweetly  blending,  hence  shall  flow 
The  tears  of  gratitude  and  woe ! 


256  LIEUTENANT   WILLIAM   BURROWS. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  British  sloop-of-war  Boxer. 

Device. — An  urn,  with  the  inscription,  W.  Burrows,  on 
the  pedestal ;  military  emblems  tastefully  arranged  on  each 
side ;  one  is  a  coronal  wreath  hanging  from  a  trident. 

Legend. — Victoriam  tibi  claram  patriae  msestam. 

Reverse. — Two  brigs  engaged.  The  Boxer  on  the  lar- 
board side  of  the  Enterprise.  Main-topmast  of  the  Boxer  shot 
away. 

Legend. — Vivere  sat  vincere. 

Exergue. — Inter  Enterprise  nav.  Ameri.  et  Boxer  nav. 
Brit.  4th  of  September,  1813. 


33 


LIEUT.    EDWAED    R.    M'CALL. 


Edward  Rutledge  M'Callwes  born  at  Charleston,  South 
CaroUna,  August  5th,  1790. 

Having  lost  his  father  at  an  early  age,  he  was  placed  under 
the  care  of  a  guardian  who  superintended  his  education,  and 
upon  learning  the  determination  of  his  young  charge  to  lead 
a  seafaring  life,  he  directed  his  studies  accordingly.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen  years,  Edward  R.  M'Call  received  a  midship- 
man's warrant,  and  was  ordered  to  join  the  sloop-of-war  Hornet, 
Captain  John  H.  Dent.  In  1811,  he  was  ordered  to  join  the 
Enterprise,  Captain  Blakeley,  with  the  promotion  of  a  lieu- 
tenancy on  board  that  ship,  where  he  remained  till  after  the 
conflict  with  the  Boxer,  in  which  conflict  Burrows,  wdio  had 
only  a  few  days  previous  taken  the  command,  was  killed. 
The  following  letter  from  Lieutenant  Edward  R.  M'Call  to 
Commodore  Hull,  commanding  naval  officer  on  the  eastern 
station,  gives  some  account  of  the  action. 
33 


258  LIEUTENANT    EDWARD    R.    M  CALL. 

United  States  Brig  Enterprise,  Portland,  Sept.  7th,  1813, 

"  Sir  : — In  consequence  of  the  unfortunate  death  of  Lieuten- 
ant-Commandant WiUiam  Burrows,  late  commander  of  this 
vessel,  it  devolves  on  me  to  acquaint  you  with  the  result  of 
our  cruise.  After  sailing  from  Portsmouth  on  the  1st  instant, 
we  steered  to  the  eastward,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  3d,  off 
Wood  Island,  discovered  a  schooner  which  we  chased  into  this 
harbor,  where  w^e  anchored.  On  the  morning  of  the  4th, 
weighed  anchor  and  swept  out,  and  continued  our  course  to 
the  eastward.  Having  received  information  of  several  priva- 
teers being  off  Manhagan,  we  stood  for  that  place,  and  on  the 
following  morning,  in  the  bay  near  Penguin-Point,  discovered 
a  brig  getting  under  way,  which  appeared  to  be  a  vessel  of 
war,  and  to  which  we  immediately  gave  chase.  She  fired 
several  guns,  and  stood  for  us,  having  four  ensigns  hoisted. 
After  reconnoitering  and  discovering  her  force,  and  the  nation 
to  which  she  belonged,  we  hauled  upon  a  wind,  to  stand  out 
of  the  bay,  and  at  three  o'clock,  shortened  sail,  tacked,  and 
run  down,  with  an  intention  to  bring  her  to  a  close  action. 

"  At  twenty  minutes  past  three,  P.  M.,  when  within  half 
pistol  shot,  the  firuig  commenced  from  both  sides,  and  after 
being  warmly  kept  up,  and  with  some  manoeuvring,  the  enemy 
hailed  and  said  they  had  surrendered,  about  four  P.  M. — their 
colors  being  nailed  to  the  masts,  could  not  be  hauled  down. 
She  proved  to  be  his  British-Majesty's  brig  Boxer,  of  fourteen 
guns,  Samuel  Blythe,  Esquire,  commander,  who  fell  in  the 
early  part  of  the  engagement,  having  received  a  cannon  shot 
through  the  body;  and,  I  am  sorry  to  add,  that  Lieutenant 
Burrows,  who  had  gallantly  led  us  to  action,  fell  also,  about 
the  same  time,  by  a  musket  ball,  which  terminated  his  exist- 
ence in  eight  hours.  The  Enterprise  suffered  much,  in  spars 
and  rigging ;  and  the  Boxer  both  in  spars,  rigging,  and  hull, 
having  many  shots  between  wind  and  water. 


LIEUTENANT    EDWARD    R.    m'cALL.  259 

*^  It  would  be  doing  injustice  to  the  merit  of  Mr.  Tillingliast, 
second  lieutenant,  were  I  not  to  mention  the  able  assistance 
I  received  from  him,  during  the  remainder  of  the  enofafjement, 
by  his  strict  attention  to  his  ow^n  division  and  other  depart- 
ments ;  and  the  officers  and  crew,  generally.  I  am  happy  to 
add,  their  cool  and  determined  conduct  have  my  warmest  ap- 
probation. As  no  muster-roll,  that  can  be  fully  relied  on,  has 
come  into  my  possession,  I  cannot  exactly  state  the  number 
killed  on  board  the  Boxer,  but  from  information  received  from 
the  officers  of  that  vessel,  it  appears  that  there  were  between 
twenty  and  twenty-five  killed,  and  fourteen  wounded.  On 
board  the  Enterprise  there  was  one  killed  and  fifteen  wounded, 
two  since  dead — sixty-six  prisoners. 

"  I  have  the  honor,  &c. 

'•  Edward  R.  M'Call,  Sen.  Officer. 
"Isaac  Hull,  Esq.,  Commanding  on  the  Eastern  Station.'" 

After  the  action  with  the  Boxer,  Lieutenant  M'Call  was 
transferred  from  the  Enterprise  to  the  sloop-of-war  Ontario, 
Captain  Robert  T.  Spence,  and  subsequently  to  the  Java, 
Commodore  Perry,  preparing  for  a  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean, 
on  which  cruise  he  remained  till  1817.  On  his  return  home. 
Lieutenant  M'Call  was  ordered  to  Charleston  to  take  the  com- 
mand of  the  sloop-of-war  Peacock,  also  preparing  to  cruise  in 
the  Mediterranean.  On  his  return,  in  1 83 1 ,  he  obtained  leave  of 
absence,  and  since  that  time  has  been  waiting  orders,  till  his 
country  is  disposed  to  employ  again  his  admirable  capacities 
for  service. 

By  a  resolution  of  Congress,  January  6th,  1814,  which  states 
the  gallantry  and  good  conduct  displayed  by  Lieutenant  Ed- 
ward R.  M'Call,  as  second  in  command  of  the  Enterprise,  in 
the  conflict  with  the  Boxer,  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate  XIL)  was 


260  LIEUTENANT   EDWARD    R.    M  CALL. 

ordered  to  be  struck  and  presented  to  him  with  the  thanks  of 
that  body. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion.— Capture  of  the  British  sloop-of-war  Boxer. 
Device. — A  bust  of  Lieutenant  M'Call. 
Legend. — Edward  M'Call,  navis  Enterprise  prsefectus. 
Exergue. — Sic  itur  ad  astra. 

Reverse,  and  the  inscription  on  the  exergue,  the  same  as 
those  of  the  medal  of  Lieutenant  Burrows. 


CAPT.    JAMES    LAWRENCE. 


J a:\ies  Lawrence  was  the  youngest  son  of  John  Law- 
rence, Esq.,  of  Budington,  New  Jersey,  and  w^as  born  on  the 
1st  of  October,  1781.  Having  lost  his  mother  a  few  weeks 
after  his  birth,  his  two  eldest  sisters,  by  their  most  tender 
attention,  endeavored  to  supply  her  place.  His  affection  for 
his  sisters  was  in  a  measure  filial,  as  well  as  fraternal,  being 
bound  to  them  by  the  double  ties  of  blood  and  education. 
Their  assiduities  were  directed  to  the  cultivation  of  his  feelings 
and  his  principles,  and  they  were  only  relieved  from  respon- 
sibility when  they  gave  him  to  society,  liberal,  humane  and 
virtuous.  At  the  age  of  tw^elve  years  he  exhibited  a  passion 
for  the  sea,  but  his  father  was  anxious  that  he  should  be  edu- 
cated for  the  law,  a  profession  in  which  he  was  himself  con- 
siderably distinguished ;  and  in  consequence  of  his  limited 
means,  his  son  James  received  his  education  at  a  grammar- 
school  in  his  native  town.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  removed 
to  Woodbury,  and  commenced  a  course  of  law  studies  with 
his  brother  John  Lawrence,  who  was  at  that  time  a  lawyer  of 
some  distinction  there.      Soon  after  his  removal  his  father 


262  CAPTAIN    JAMES    LAWRENCE. 

died.  James  was  now  wholly  an  orphan,  and  long  and  severe 
were  his  sufferings  at  the  loss  of  so  good  a  parent,  but  in  time 
they  wore  away,  and  he  made  an  urgent  appeal  to  his  brother 
in  favor  of  the  path  to  which  his  genius  had  directed  him. 

The  faithful  and  affectionate  brother  had  discovered  that 
the  pursuits  of  law  were  loathsome  to  his  pupil,  and  that  seden- 
tary habits  suited  not  a  frame  formed  for  activity,  nor  study  a 
mind  that  gloried  in  action,  nor  the  land  a  heart  whose  only 
delight  was  the  broad  ocean.  It  was,  therefore,  thought  best, 
on  the  whole,  to  surrender  him  at  once  to  the  prerogative  of 
his  nature.  At  his  own  request  he  returned  to  Burlington, 
and  commenced  the  study  of  navigation.  He  remained  there 
only  sufficiently  long  to  attain  the  elements  of  the  theory 
of  that  science;  but  it  was  all  he  required.  His  mind,  once 
receiving  a  proper  direction,  could  go  forward  at  leisure,  of  its 
own  motion;  a  guide  was  wanting  only  to  show  the  path  and 
to  mark  out  the  course ;  it  was  for  Lawrence  alone  to  arrive 
at  the  goal.  It  was  not  long  before  he  was  pronounced  a  most 
finished  seaman,  and  this  character  could  not  have  been  ac- 
quired otherwise  than  by  devoting  himself  exclusively  to  the 
acquisition  of  nautical  science,  including  combination  of  prac- 
tice with  theory. 

In  the  seventeenth  year  of  his  age — in  the  bloom  of  youth 
and  the  pride  of  his  strength — full  of  hope,  he  applied  for  a 
station  in  the  navy.  Such  was  the  correctness  of  his  charac- 
ter, the  promise  of  his  life,  and  the  interest  felt  for  him,  that 
many  of  the  oldest  and  most  respectable  citizens  of  the  state 
came  forward  with  alacrity,  in  aid  of  his  application.  The 
mail  that  carried  it  returned  with  a  warrant  for  midshipman 
Lawrence ;  and  he  entered  his  country's  service  on  the  5th  of 
September,  1798.  His  first  voyage  was  to  the  West  Indies, 
in  the  ship  Ganges,  Captain  Tingey.  Nothing  of  conse- 
quence occurred  to  our  young  officer  for  the  two  first  years  of 


CAPTAIN   JAMES   LAWRENCE.  263 

his  seafaring  life,  until  his  promotion  to  a  lieutenancy  on 
board  the  Adams,  Captain  Robinson,  where  he  remained  until 
March,  1801.  In  the  war  with  Tripoli,  Lawrence  was  a 
commissioned  lieutenant  and  attached  to  the  Enterprise  as 
first  officer.  In  the  bombardment  of  Tripoli,  he  acted  a  very 
conspicuous  part,  which  was  acknowledtjed  by  Decatur  in  his 
official  reports.  After  his  return  from  the  Mediterranean,  he 
was  some  time  at  New  York,  attached  to  the  navy  yard  in 
that  city.  While  there  the  attention  of  the  naval  gentlemen  of 
that  place  was  attracted  by  some  "  queries"  in  the  "  Public 
Advertiser,"  the  object  of  which  was  to  call  Commodore 
Rogers  to  account  for  not  having  used  the  gunboats  in  a  par- 
ticular manner  on  a  recent  occasion.  One  query  alluded  to 
the  inferior  officers,  and  particularly  the  commanders  of  gun- 
boats. "  Why,"  asks  the  writer,  "  are  the  commanders  of  these 
gun-boats  suffered  to  be  swaggering  through  our  streets,  while 
they  should  be  whetting  their  sabres  ?"  So  much  insolence 
incensed  the  whole  corps;  and  Lawrence,  being  the  senior 
officer  then  on  that  station,  in  behalf  of  them,  addressed  the 
following  note  to  the  printer. 

"  To  Mr.  Frank,  Editor  of  the  Public  Advertiser. 

"  Your  queries  in  the  Public  Advertiser  of  Monday,  were 
of  a  nature  to  excite  indignation  in  the  coldest  bosom,  and 
procure  for  you  the  chastisement  which  a  scoundrel  deserves. 
In  answer  to  your  '  Queries,'  which  immediately  relate  to  the 
navy,  if  you  wish  to  be  informed  why  Commodore  Rodgers 
did  not  employ  the  apparent  force  with  which  government 
has  invested  him,  I  would  refer  you  to  the  constituted  au- 
thorities. On  this  subject  they  alone  can  gratify  your  curi- 
osity. In  regard  to  the  commanders  of  gun-boats,  whom  you 
term  swaggerers,  I  assure  you  their  'sabres'  are  sufficiently 


264  CAPTAIN   JAMES    LAWRENCE. 

keen  to  cut  off  your  ears,  and  will  inevitably  be  employed  in 
that  service,  if  any  future  remarks,  injurious  to  their  reputa- 
tion, should  be  inserted  in  your  paper. 

"James  Lawrence,  Lieut.  U.  S.N., 

"  In  behalf  of  the  officers. 
''Navy  Yard,  N.  York,  6th  Sept.,  1807." 

The  editor,  having  too  much  respect  for  his  ears,  let  the 
matter  rest.  Lawrence  was  next  appointed  first  lieutenant  to 
the  Constitution,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  master  and  commander,  and  directed  to  take 
command,  in  succession,  of  the  Vixen,  Wasp,  Argus  and  Hor- 
net; was  twice  sent  with  dispatches  to  Europe — once  to  Lon- 
don and  once  to  Paris. 

In  1808  he  married  a  Miss  Montandevert,  of  New  York. 
At  the  declaration  of  war  in  1812,  he  sailed  in  command 
of  the  Hornet,  in  the  squadron  commanded  by  Commodore 
Rodgers,  consisting  of  the  United  States,  Congress  and  Ar- 
gus, and  after  a  cruise  not  distinguished  by  any  signal  suc- 
cess, returned  to  Boston  on  the  31st  of  August  in  the  same 
year. 

Captain  Lawrence  went  to  sea  again  in  October,  1812,  as 
commander  of  the  Hornet  under  Commodore  Bainbridge,  who 
commanded  for  this  cruise  in  the  Constitution.  Their  destina- 
tion was  the  East  Indies,  but  near  Brazil  Captain  Lawrence 
captured  the  English  brig  Resolution  with  ten  guns  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  but  being  a  dull  sailer,  after 
securing  the  crew  and  the  money  he  burnt  her.  Captain 
Lawrence  then  sailed  towards  Demerara,  and  in  passing 
round  the  Corobano  bank  he  espied  a  sail  on  his  weather- 
quarter  and  about  to  approach  him.  It  was  the  Peacock, 
Captain  William  Peake,  with  English  colors. 

The  Hornet  was  immediately  cleared  for  action,  and  kept 


CAPTAIN   JAMES    LAWRENCE.  265 

close  to  the  wind  to  get  the  weather-gage  of  the  enemy; 
shortly  they  exchanged  broadsides  at  half  pistol-shot  distance. 
Finding  the  enemy  in  the  act  of  wearing,  Captain  Lawrence 
bore  np,  and  gave  him  a  well  directed  and  tremendous  fire, 
and  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  from  the  commencement  of 
the  action,  the  signal  of  distress  had  taken  the  place  of  the 
British  flag.  In  an  instant  a  lieutenant  boarded  her  and  found 
her  cut  to  pieces,  her  captain  killed,  many  of  her  crew  killed 
or  wounded,  her  mizzen-mast  by  the  board,  six  feet  water  in  the 
hold,  and  the  vessel  fast  sinking.  The  tw^o  ships  were  imme- 
diately brought  to  anchor,  the  Hornet's  boats  dispatched  to 
bring  oif  the  wounded,  the  guns  thrown  overboard,  the  shot 
holes  that  could  be  got  at  plugged,  every  thing  done,  by 
pumping  and  bailing,  to  keep  her  afloat ;  yet  she  went  down 
before  all  her  wounded  seamen  could  be  removed.  The  Hor- 
net had  one  man  killed  and  lost  three  brave  fellows  wdiile  at- 
tempting to  rescue  the  vanquished  from  a  watery  grave ;  four 
of  her  seamen  were  taken  from  the  tops  just  before  the  Pea- 
cock had  entirely  disappeared.  Captain  Lawrence  now  de- 
termined to  sail  for  New  York;  no  sooner  had  he  arrived 
there,  than  the  officers  of  the  Peacock  honorably  made  pub- 
lic their  grateful  feelings  for  the  kindness  of  Captain  Law- 
rence and  the  officers  under  him.  They  said,  "  7ve  ceased  to 
consider  ourselves  prisoners.'''  The  crew  most  tieartily  vied 
with  their  captain  in  generosity  as  well  as  bravery.  The 
sailors  of  the  Peacock  were  left  destitute  of  a  change  of 
apparel,  so  suddenly  had  their  vessel  sunk.  The  crew  of  the 
Hornet  most  kindly  contributed  to  their  wants.  Such  con- 
duct is  w^orthy  heroic  sailors !  these  brave  hearts  from  oppo- 
site extremities  of  the  ocean,  mingling  together  on  the  same 
deck,  beat  with  but  one  common  pulsation.  On  the  meeting 
of  the  next  Congress,  this  battle  was  thus  officially  noticed  by 
the  President  of  the  nation : — 
34 


266  CAPTAIN    JAMES   LAWRENCE. 

"  In  continuance  of  the  brilliant  achievements  of  our  infant 
navy,  a  signal  triumph  has  been  gained  by  Captain  Lawrence 
and  his  companions,  in  the  Hornet  sloop-of-war,  which  de- 
stroyed a  British  sloop-of-war  w^ith  a  celerity  so  unexampled, 
and  with  a  slaughter  of  the  enemy  so  disproportionate  to  the 
loss  in  the  Hornet,  as  to  claim  for  the  conqueror  the  highest 
praise." 

Captain  Lawrence,  after  remaining  in  New  York  a  short 
time,  received  orders  to  repair  to  Boston  and  take  command 
of  the  Chesapeake,  to  sail  on  the  1st  day  of  June.  On 
his  arrival  there,  he  was  informed  that  a  British  ship  had 
been  cruising  around  in  sight  of  the  harbor  for  the  last  three 
days.  He  accordingly,  on  the  1st,  proceeded  in  chase  of  her, 
and  was  informed  by  pilots  they  believed  it  to  be  the  British 
frigate  Shannon.  About  four  o'clock,  P.  M.,  she  came  in 
sight ;  he  accordingly  directed  his  course  towards  her ;  at  half 
past  four,  P.  M.,  she  hove  to,  with  her  head  to  the  southward 
and  eastward ;  at  five,  P.M.,  she  took  in  the  royal  and  top- 
gallant sails,  and  at  about  fifteen  minutes  before  six  the  action 
commenced  within  pistol-shot  distance.  The  first  broadside 
killed,  among  others,  the  sailing  master,  and  wounded  Captain 
Lawrence;  in  about  twelve  minutes  afterwards,  the  Chesa- 
peake fell  on  board  of  the  Shannon,  and  immediately  there- 
upon, an  armed  chest,  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  Chesapeake, 
was  blown  up  by  a  hand  grenade  from  the  enemy,  and  every 
officer,  on  wdiom  the  charge  of  the  ship  could  devolve,  was 
either  killed  or  wounded  previous  to  the  capture.  Captain 
Lawrence,  who,  bleeding,  had  still  kept  the  deck,  supporting 
himself  against  the  companion-way,  in  the  act  of  giving 
orders,  was  levelled  by  a  second  ball ;  he  was  carried  below, 
making  a  particular  request  that  the  ship  should  not  be  sur- 
rendered. The  surgeon  hurried  to  his  captain  in  the  cock- 
pit, to  relieve  the  most  excruciating  pains  from  his  wounds 
both  in  the  body  and  the  leg.     But,  "  No — serve  those  who 


CAPTAIN    JAMES    LAWRENCE.  267 

came  before  me,  first;  I  can  wait  my  turn,"  said  the  noble- 
hearted  sailor — greater  even  below  than  above  deck.  The 
wounds  of  Captain  Lawrence  confined  him  to  his  bed  until 
the  moment  of  his  death ;  he  lingered  in  much  pain  and 
suffering  until  the  5th  of  June,  when,  in  the  thirty-second 
year  of  his  age,  he  expired.  He  died  young ;  he  gave  him- 
self to  glory  and  his  country ;  not  to  dwell  upon  public  re- 
collection mangled  and  mutilated,  but  leaving  in  the  fond  eye 
of  faithful  memory  the  whole  image  of  a  perfect  hero,  unim- 
paired by  age  or  by  accident,  in  all  the  freshness  of  youth 
and  the  fair  fullness  of  his  admired  proportions.  Funeral 
solemnities  were  rendered  to  Captain  Lawrence  and  his  Lieu- 
tenant, Ludlow,  at  Halifax.  "  By  strangers  honored  and  by 
strangers  mourned."  His  enemies  were  his  mourners,  or 
rather  the  enemies  of  his  country,  for  personal  enemies  he 
had  none.  The  tears  of  Britons  evinced  how  much  more 
gratefully  they  would  have  shown  homage  to  his  person  than 
every  respectful  attention  to  his  remains.  That  flag,  from 
which  he  had  parted  but  with  life,  was  restored  to  him  in 
death.  "  His  signal  once,  but  now  his  winding  sheet."  Li 
the  month  of  August  following  the  remains  of  Lawrence  and 
Ludlow  were  removed  from  Halifax  and  anived  at  Salem  on 
the  18th,  where  a  public  funeral  service  and  eulogy  were  pro- 
nounced by  the  Hon.  Judge  Story,  and  from  thence,  at  the 
request  of  the  relatives,  were  removed  to  New  York ;  there 
the  city  council  took  charge  of  the  funeral  in  a  manner  worthy 
the  munificence  which  they  had  promptly  manifested  on 
every  naval  occasion.  They  gave  the  two  children  of  Cap- 
tain Lawrence  one  thousand  dollars  each,  to  be  vested  in  the 
sinking-fund  of  the  corporation,  and  paid,  with  the  interest,  to 
the  daughter  at  eighteen,  and  to  the  son  at  twenty-one  years 
of  age. 

His  remains  were  interred  in  St.  Paul's  burying-ground,  in 


268  CAPTAIN    JAMES    LAWRENCE. 

that  city,  where  a  suitable  monument  is  erected.  Captain 
Lawrence  was  amiable  in  private  as  he  had  made  himself 
admirable  in  his  professional  life.  The  domestic  were  in  the 
same  circle  with  the  ocean  virtues,  each  heightening  the  charm 
of  the  others.  As  a  Christian,  his  proof  of  faith  in  our 
Heavenly  Father  v/as  love  to  every  brother  upon  earth.  His 
country  wears  the  laurel  to  his  honor,  the  cypress  for  his  loss. 

A  monument  has  been  erected  in  Trinity  church-yard,  New 
York,  of  which  the  following  is  a  description  : — 

The  design  is  simple  and  affectingly  appropriate.  It  is  a 
broken  column  of  white  marble,  of  the  pure  Doric,  the  cap 
broken  off  and  resting  on  the  base.  The  inscription  is,  we 
think,  singularly  beautiful,  and  does  great  honor  to  the  author. 
It  presents  a  fine  contrast  to  the  unfeeling  and  inflated  bom- 
bast which  so  often  disgraces  this  species  of  composition,  ex- 
hibiting a  rare  specimen  of  that  sweet  yet  dignified  simplicity 
which  so  well  accords  with  the  records  and  the  emblems  of 
perishing  mortality.  The  introduction  of  the  dying  w^ords  of 
this  gallant  officer,  is  in  the  highest  degree  affecting. 

In  Memory  of 

Captain  James  Lawrence, 

of  the  United   States  Navy, 

who  fell 

on  the  first  day  of  June,  1813,  in  the  32d  year  of  his  age, 

in  the  action  between  the  frigates  Chesapeake  and  Shannon. 

He  distinguished  himself  on  various  occasions ; 

but  particularly  w^hen  he  commanded  the 

sloop-of-war  Hornet, 

by  capturing  and  sinking 

His  Britannic  Majesty's  sloop-of-war  Peacock, 

after  a  desperate  action  of  14  minutes. 

His  bravery  in  action, 

was  only  equaled  by  his  modesty  in  triumph 


CAPTAIN    JAMES    LAWRENCE.  269 

and  his  magnanimity  to  the 

vanquished. 

In  private  life 

he  was  a  gentleman  of  the  most 

generous   and   endearing  qualities; 

and  so  acknowledged  was  his  public  worth, 

that  the  whole  nation  mourned  his  loss; 

and  the  enemy  contended  with  his  countrymen, 

who  most  should  honor  his  remains. 

ON    THE    REVERSE. 

The  Hero, 

whose  remains  are  here  deposited, 

with  his  expiring  breath, 

expressed  his  devotion  to  his  country. 

Neither  the  fury  of  battle ; 

the  anguish  of  a  mortal  wound ; 

nor  the  horrors  of  approaching  Death, 

could  subdue  his  gallant  spirit. 

His  dying  words  were, 

"don't  give  up  the  ship." 


Description  of  the  gold  medal  presented  by  Congress  to 
the  nearest  male  relative  of  Captain  James  Lawrence. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  British  sloop-of-war  Peacock. 

Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Lawrence. 

Legend. — Jac.  Lawrence.  Dolce  et  decorum  est  pro  patria 
mori. 

Reverse. — A  vessel  in  the  act  of  sinking,  mizzen-mast  shot 
away  ;  a  boat  rowing  towards  her  from  the  American  ship. 

Legend. — Mansuetud.     Maj.  quam  Victoria. 

Exergue. — Inter  Hornet  nav.  Ameri.  et  Peacock  nav. 
Ang.  die  24th  February,  1813. 


CAPTAIN  THOMAS  MACDONOUGH. 


For  the  biography  and  exploits  of  this  brave  officer,  we 
are  indebted  to  that  valuable  work  entitled  "  The  Portrait 
Gallery." 

''  Thomas  Macdonough  was  born  in  the  county  of  Newcastle, 
in  the  state  of  Delaware,  in  December,  1783.  His  father  was 
a  physician,  but  inspired  with  a  love  of  liberty,  he  entered  the 
army  of  the  revolution  as  a  major;  he  did  not,  however,  re- 
main long  in  the  service,  but  returned  to  private  life  and  his 
professional  pursuits,  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was 
made  a  judge;  in  which  office  he  remained  until  his  death, 
which  happened  in  1795.  He  left  three  sons.  His  eldest  son, 
James,  was  a  midshipman  with  Commodore  Truxton  when 
he  took  the  Insurgent. 

"  In  that  battle  he  was  so  severely  wounded,  that  his  leg  was 
obliged  to  be  amputated.  He  soon  afterwards  left  the  navy 
with  the  reputation  of  a  brave  officer.  In  1798,  the  subject 
of  this  memoir  obtained  a  warrant  as  a  midshipman,  and  com- 
menced his  career  as  a  naval  officer. 

"Those  who  were  acquainted  with  his  early  life,  spoke  of 


CAPTAIN   THOMAS    MACDONOUGH.  271 

Midshipman  Macdonough  as  a  young  officer  of  great  promise ; 
but  he  had  no  opportunity  of  being  made  known  to  the  public 
until  the  country  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  the  frigate  Phila- 
delphia. When  the  gallant  Decatur  proposed  to  burn  her,  as 
she  lay  in  possession  of  the  enemy,  he  selected  Macdonough 
as  one  of  the  young  officers  to  accompany  him  on  that  hazard- 
ous expedition;  and  he  reaped  an  early  harvest  of  honor  in 
that  daring  exploit,  with  his  leader  and  others.  The  Medi- 
terranean has  been  the  birth-place  of  more  naval  reputations 
than  all  the  waters  of  the  world  beside,  and  it  was  there,  too, 
that  our  infant  navy  displayed  some  of  those  acts  of  valor  and 
good  conduct  which  were  of  importance  in  themselves,  and 
were  hailed  as  presages  of  future  glory  for  our  country.  When 
Macdonough  was  first  lieutenant  of  the  Syren,  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Smith,  a  circumstance  occurred  in  the  harbor 
of  Gibraltar  sufficiently  indicative  of  the  firmness  and  deci- 
sion of  his  character.  An  American  merchant  brig  came  to 
anchor  near  the  United  States  vessel.  Macdonough,  in  the 
absence  of  Captain  Smith,  who  had  gone  on  shore,  saw  a  boat 
from  a  British  frigate  board  the  brig,  and  take  from  her  a  man. 
He  instantly  manned  and  armed  his  gig  and  pursued  the 
British  boat,  which  he  overtook,  just  as  it  reached  the  frigate, 
and  without  ceremony  took  the  impressed  man  into  his  own 
boat.  The  frisfate's  boat  was  twice  the  force  of  his  ow^n ;  but 
the  act  was  so  bold  as  to  astound  the  lieutenant  who  com- 
manded the  press-gang,  and  no  resistance  was  offered. 

When  the  affair  was  made  known  to  the  British  captain  he 
came  on  board  the  Syren  in  a  great  rage,  and  inquired  how  he 
dared  to  take  a  man  from  his  boat.  Macdonough  replied  that 
the  man  was  an  American  seaman,  and  was  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  flag  of  the  United  States,  and  that  it  was  his  duty 
to  protect  him.  The  captain,  with  a  volley  of  oaths,  swore  he 
would  bring  his  frigate  along  side  the  Syren  and  sink  her. 


272  CAPTAIN    THOMAS    MACDONOXJGH. 

'  This  you  may  do,'  said  Macdonough,  '  but  while  she  swims 
the  man  you  will  not  have.'  The  English  captain  told  Mac- 
donough that  he  was  a  young  hairbrained  fellow,  and  would 
repent  of  his  rashness.  '  Supposing  sir/  said  he,  'I  had  been 
in  that  boat,  would  you  have  dared  to  have  committed  such 
an  act?'  '  I  should  have  made  the  attempt,  sir,  at  all  hazards,' 
was  the  reply.  '  What,  sir  !'  said  the  English  captainp '  would 
you  venture  to  interfere  if  I  were  to  impress  men  from  that 
brig?'  'You  have  only  to  try  it,  sir!'  was  the  pithy  answer. 
The  English  officer  returned  to  his  ship,  manned  his  boat,  and 
made  his  way  towards  the  brig.  Macdonough  did  the  same, 
but  there  the  affair  ended, — the  English  boat  took  a  circuitous 
route  and  returned  to  the  ship. 

"  There  was  such  a  calmness  in  the  conduct  of  Lieutenant 
Macdonough,  such  a  solemnity  in  his  language,  such  a  polite- 
ness in  his  manner,  that  the  British  officer  saw  that  he  had  to 
deal  with  no  ordinary  man,  and  that  it  was  not  prudent  to  put 
him  on  his  metal.  In  that  garden  of  the  world,  the  shores  of 
the  Mediterranean,  where  nations  have  grown  up  and  decayed, 
and  others  have  taken  their  places ;  where  everything  is  marked 
with  age,  luxury,  crime,  and  temptation,  and  where  many  a 
fine  young  officer  has  made  shipwreck  of  his  morals  and  his 
health,  Macdonough  exhibited  the  Spartan  firmness  with  the 
Christian  virtues.  His  bravery  was  never  for  one  moment 
doubted,  but  he  was  so  reserved,  temperate,  and  circumspect, 
that  the  envious  sometimes  strove  to  bringr  him  to  their  level, 
and  often  were  snares  set  for  him,  but  he  was  never  caught. 
His  character  w^as  fair  and  bright  as  the  surface  of  a  mirror, 
before  it  was  brought  to  refl.ect  any  ray  of  glory  upon  himself 
and  his  country. 

"  There  is  generally  a  good  share  of  sagacity  in  the  common 
sailor;  he  sees  through  a  character  much  clearer  than  we 
generally  suppose.     Before  Macdonough  had  been  promoted 


CAPTAIN    THOMAS    RIACDONOUGH.  273 

to  a  lieutenancy,  he  had  the  heart  of  every  sailor  who  knew 
him.  There  are  few  so  ignorant  that  they  cannot  distinguish 
moral  worth,  when  connected  with  professional  ability,  and 
none  so  bad  as  not  to  approve  of  it.  It  has  often  been  stated, 
and  never  questioned,  that  while  in  Syracuse,  he  was  one  night 
attacked  by  three  assassins,  with  daggers. 

"  He  drew  his  sword,  and  wounded  two  of  them  so  severely 
as  to  fear  nothing  further  from  them;  the  other  fled,  but  he 
pursued  him  to  the  roof  of  a  building,  and  climbing  it  after 
the  assassin,  would  have  caught  him,  if  he  had  not  thrown 
himself  from  it  with  the  loss  of  his  life.  At  the  declaration 
of  war  with  England,  in  1812,  our  navy  was  put  into  requisi- 
tion, and  every  officer  panted  for  distinction.  The  elder  offi- 
cers were  mostly  sent  on  the  ocean ;  some  of  the  high  spirited 
juniors  to  the  lakes.  Among  the  latter,  Lieutenant  Macdon- 
ough  was  ordered  to  Lake  Champlain,  an  important  station; 
for  through  this  lake  a  communication  could  most  readily  be 
had  with  the  most  powerful  part  of  the  Canadas. 

"  The  main  armies  of  the  British  were  always  near  Montreal 
and  Quebec,  but  for  the  fiirst  two  years  of  the  war,  both  sides 
were  busy  in  another  direction,  particularly  on  the  Lakes  On- 
tario and  Erie.  The  contending  powers  watched  each  other's 
movements  and  kept  neciYly  pari  passu  in  the  augmentation  of 
their  naval  forces ;  the  English  always  in  the  advance,  having 
in  many  respects  greater  facilities;  if  not  in  ship  building, 
certainly  in  procuring  munitions  of  war,  sails,  rigging,  &c. 

"  Towards  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1814,  the  warlike  pre- 
parations on  Lake  Champlain,  and  its  vicinity,  seemed  to  por- 
tend some  powerful  shock. 

^'  Large  bodies  of  troops,  the  veterans  of  Wellington's  army, 

to  the  amount  of  sixteen  thousand,  had  arrived  in  Canada, 

and  were  preparing  to  strike  a  severe  blow  on  the  frontiers,  one 

that  would  be  felt  to  the  very  vitals  of  the  nation.     Izard  re- 

35 


274  CAPTAIN    THOMAS    MACDONOUGH. 

ceived  orders  to  assist  Brown,  and  Macomb  was  left  with  a 
handful  of  men  to  defend  Plattsburgh.  The  fleet  under  Mac- 
donough  was  put  in  readiness  for  an  attack.  He  had  only  four 
ships,  the  Saratoga,  twenty-six  guns;  the  Eagle,  twenty  guns ; 
the  Ticonderoga,  seventeen  guns;  the  Preble,  seven  guns ;  and 
ten  galleys,  carrying  sixteen  guns,  making  in  all  eighty-six 
guns. 

"  The  British  force  was  larger ;  four  ships  and  thirteen  gal- 
leys, in  all  ninety -five  guns  ;  their  complement  of  men  was  also 
much  larger. 

"  That  the  American  fleet  was  commanded  by  a  young  offi- 
cer who  ranked  only  as  lieutenant,  and  the  British  by  an  old 
experienced  officer,  gave  Sir  George  Prevost  no  doubt  of  the 
issue  of  his  naval  operations.  On  the  land,  too,  wdth  his  vete- 
rans from  Waterloo,  he  was  quite  certain  of  a  signal  victory. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  10th  of  September,  it  was  evident 
that  the  assault  on  the  lake  and  on  the  land  was  to  be  made 
the  next  day ;  and  Macdonough  deemed  it  best  to  await  the 
attack  at  anchor.  At  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
11th,  the  British  fleet  was  seen  approaching,  and  in  another 
hour  the  battle  had  commenced. 

"  The  most  accurate  description  of  it  must  be  from  his  own 
pen.  '  At  nine,'  says  Macdonough,  '  the  enemy  anchored  in 
a  line  ahead,  at  about  three  hundred  yards  distant  from  my 
line;  his  ship  opposed  to  the  Saratoga;  his  brig  to  the  Eagle, 
Captain  Robert  Henley ;  his  galleys,  thirteen  in  number,  to 
the  schooner,  sloop,  and  a  division  of  our  galleys ;  one  of  his 
sloops  assisting  their  ship  and  brig ;  the  other  assisting  their 
galleys ;  our  remaining  galleys  were  with  the  Saratoga  and 
Eagle. 

"  '  In  this  situation,  the  whole  force  on  both  sides  became 
engaged,  the  Saratoga  suffering  much  from  the  heavy  fire  of 
the  Confiance.     I  could  perceive  at  the  same  time,  however. 


CAPTAIN    THOMAS    MACDONOUGH.  275 

that  our  fire  was  very  destructive  to  her.  The  Ticonderoga, 
Lieutenant  Commandant  Cassin,  gallantly  sustained  her  full 
share  of  the  action.  At  half  past  ten,  the  Eagle  not  being 
able  to  bring  her  guns  to  bear,  cut  her  cable  and  anchored  in 
a  more  eligible  position,  between  my  ship  and  the  Ticon- 
deroga, where  she  very  much  annoyed  the  enemy,  but  unfor- 
tunately leaving  me  much  exposed  to  a  galling  fire  from  the 
enemy's  brig. 

"  '■  Our  guns  on  the  starboard  side  being  nearly  all  dismount- 
ed, or  unmanageable,  a  stern  anchor  was  let  go,  the  lower  cable 
cut,  and  tlie  ship  winded  with  a  fresh  broadside  on  the  ene- 
my's ship,  which  soon  after  surrendered.  Our  broadside  was 
then  sprung  to  bear  on  the  brig,  which  surrendered  about 
fifteen  minutes  afterwards.  The  sloop  which  was  opposed  to 
the  Eagle,  had  struck  some  time  before,  and  drifted  down  the 
line.  The  sloop  that  was  with  their  galleys  had  also  struck. 
Three  of  their  galleys  sunk,  the  others  pulled  off.  Our  galleys 
were  about  obeying  with  alacrity  the  signal  to  follow  them, 
when  all  the  vessels  were  reported  to  me  to  be  in  a  sinking 
condition. 

" '  It  then  became  necessary  to  annid  the  signal  to  the  galleys, 

and  order  their  men  to  the  pumps.  I  could  only  look  at  the 
enemy's  galleys  going  ofi"  in  a  shattered  condition,  for  there 
was  not  a  mast  in  either  squadron  that  could  stand  to  make 
sail  on.  The  lower  rigging  being  nearly  shot  away,  hung 
down  as  though  it  had  just  been  placed  over  the  mast  heads. 

*' '  The  Saratoga  had  fifty-five  round  shot  in  her  hull ;  the 
British  ship  Confiance,  one  hundred  and  five.  The  enemy's 
shot  passed  principally  just  over  our  heads,  as  there  were  not 
twenty  whole  hammocks  in  the  nettings,  at  the  close  of  the 
action,  which  lasted  without  intermission  two  hours  and  twenty 
minutes. 

'' '  The  absence  and  sickness  of  Lieutenant  Raymond  Perry, 


CAPT.    ROBERT    HENLEY. 


Robert  Henley  was  born  in  James'  City  county,  in  the 
state  of  Virginia,  on  the  5th  day  of  January,  1783.  He  was 
educated  at  William  and  Mary  College,  in  that  state,  and 
intended  for  the  profession  of  the  law ;  but  his  mind  seeming 
bent  on  a  seafaring  life,  his  parents  reluctantly  permitted  him 
to  apply  to  his  relative.  General  Washington,  for  a  midship- 
man's warrant,  which,  at  his  particular  desire,  was  obtained, 
and  he  entered  the  navy  in  1799.  Although  but  sixteen  years 
of  age  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States,  he 
possessed  a  good  mind  and  showed  great  firmness  and  decision 
of  character ;  he  had  laboriously  applied  himself  to  reading 
and  study,  more  particularly  in  preparation  for  the  naval  ser- 
vice, which  it  was  his  determination  to  follow,  although  at 
that  time  his  wishes  were  unknown  to  his  friends.  His  first 
cruise  was  with  Commodore  Truxtun,  in  tiie  Constellation, 
and  he  was  present  at  her  encounter  with  the  French  ship 
"  La  Vengeance." 

Not  a  year  had  elapsed  before  our  young  sailor  had  an  op- 
portunity of  knowing  by  experience  the  toils  and  hardships  of 


rial.'  li! 


CAPTAIN  ROBERT  HENLEY.  279 

a  seafaring  life.  On  the  first  of  February,  1800,  the  despe- 
rate conflict  between  the  Constellation  and  La  Vengeance  took 
place,  and  during  the  struggle,  which  lasted  from  eight  in  tiie 
evening  until  nearly  one  in  the  morning,  the  bravery  of  Mid- 
shipman Henley  was  unflinching ;  although  nearly  exhausted 
by  fatigue  he  never  for  one  moment  deserted  his  post,  and 
after  the  conflict  was  over,  was  one  of  the  first  who  was  com- 
plimented by  his  commander  for  his  bravery,  who  observed 
while  pointing  to  him,  "  That  stripling  is  destined  to  be  a 
brave  officer." 

On  his  return  to  the  United  States  he  obtained  leave  of 
absence  and  returned  to  Williamsburgh,  where  he  attended  a 
course  of  lectures  on  navigation  and  naval  science.  This 
seemed  to  infuse  him  with  new^  life  and  vigor,  and  his  buoyant 
pride  was  soon  gratified  by  an  appointment  to  the  command 
of  a  gun-boat  at  Norfolk  and  promotion  to  a  lieutenancy. 
After  remaining  some  years  in  this  and  similar  situations,  he 
received  the  command  of  the  brig  Eagle  on  Lake  Champlain, 
and  was  second  in  command  to  Commodore  McDonough  in 
that  decisive  battle ;  who,  in  his  official  letter,  speaks  of  the 
gallantry  of  our  hero,  as  follows  : — "  To  Captain  Robert  Hen- 
ley, of  the  brig  Eagle,  much  is  to  be  ascribed ;  his  courage 
was  conspicuous,  and  I  most  earnestly  recommend  him  as 
worthy  of  the  highest  trust  and  confidence." 

For  his  gallant  conduct  throughout  this  engagement,  Con- 
gress voted  to  Captain  Robert  Henley  a  gold  medal  {see  Plate 
XHL)  and  the  thanks  of  both  houses.  After  the  battle  of 
Lake  Champlain,  Captain  Henley  resided  for  some  time  in 
Norfolk,  Virginia,  in  order  to  overlook  some  matters  connected 
with  the  naval  station  at  that  place,  until  1827,  when  he  was 
called  to  the  command  of  the  Hornet,  and  ordered  to  cruise 
in  the  West  Indies.  On  his  return  to  the  United  States  he 
was  stationed  in  Nortli  Carolina,  where  he  remained  some 


280  CAPTAIN    ROBERT    HENLEY. 

years ;  from  thence  he  was  ordered  to  Charleston,  South  Caro- 
lina, where  he  died  in  command  in  the  year  1829.  He  mar- 
ried in  early  life  but  left  no  family.  Captain  Henley  was 
a  man  of  fine  and  commanding  appearance,  of  a  sanguine  and 
ardent  temperament,  combined  with  great  decision  of  charac- 
ter :  although  generous  and  brave,  he  was  easily  appeased ; 
he  was  magnanimous,  hospitable,  and  possessed  a  warmth  of 
heart  that  made  him  the  idol  of  his  crews ;  he  was  full  of 
chivalry,  and  a  devoted  lover  of  his  country ;  whose  interest 
seemed  to  govern  every  action  of  his  life. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Victory  on  Lake  Champlain. 

Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Henley. 

Legend. — Rob.  Henley,  Eagle  pra3fect.  Palma  virtu,  per 
seternit.  Floribit. 

Reverse.  —  A  fleet  engaged  before  a  town  enveloped  in 
smoke.     Several  boats  on  the  lake  filled  with  sailors  rowing. 

Legend. — Uno  latere  percusso  alteram  impavide  vertit. 

Exergue. — Inter  class.  Ameri.  etBrit.  die  11th  Sept.  1814. 


CAPTAIN    STEPHEN    CASSIN. 


Stephen  Cassin,  the  son  of  Commodore  John  Cassin  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  the  16th  of 
February,  1783. 

He  entered  the  navy  as  midshipman  in  1800,  then  in  his 
seventeenth  year.  His  first  cruise  in  1801,  was  in  the  frigate 
Philadelphia,  Commodore  Stephen  Decatur,  the  father  of 
the  late  and  gallant  Decatur,  whose  bravery  in  the  Tripolitan 
war  and  also  in  the  war  of  1812,  forms  a  conspicuous  part 
in  the  naval  history  of  America.  After  a  cruise  of  nearly 
two  years,  during  which  nothing  of  consequence  occurred, 
the  command  of  the  Philadelphia  was  transferred  to  Cap- 
tain Samuel  Barron,  and  after  a  short  cruise  with  him.  Mid- 
shipman Cassin  was  transferred  to  the  schooner  Nautilus 
of  sixteen  guns,  ordered  to  form  part  of  the  squadron  prepar- 
ino-  to  sail  for  the  Mediterranean,  under  the  command  of  Com- 
modore Preble,  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  effectually  the 
commerce  and  seamen  of  the  United  States  against  the  Tri- 
politan cruisers  on  the  Atlantic  ocean,  the  Mediterranean  and 
adjoining  seas. 
36 


282  CAPTAIN    STErHEN    CASSIN. 

This  squadron,  consisting  of  seven  sail,  viz :  the  Constitu- 
tion, forty -four  guns ;  Philadelphia,  forty-four,  already  on  the 
station;  Argus,  eighteen;  Siren,  sixteen;  Nautilus,  sixteen ; 
Vixen,  sixteen ;  Enterprise,  fourteen.  This  squadron  sailed 
on  the  13tli  of  August,  1803,  and  reached  Gibraltar  the  13th 
of  September.  On  the  17th,  they  arrived  in  Tangier  bay, 
w^hen  the  negotiations  commenced  w^hich  terminated  so  pros- 
perously and  which  have  already  been  given  in  the  life  of 
Commodore  Preble.  After  two  years'  service  as  midshipman 
in  the  Nautilus,  greatest  part  of  the  time  being  spent  in  cruises 
in  the  Mediterranean,  Stephen  Cassin  was  promoted  to  a 
lieutenancy  on  board  the  John  Adams,  Captain  Shaw. 

Not  long  after  his  promotion.  Lieutenant  Cassin  returned 
to  the  United  States,  and  sailed  as  captain  of  a  merchant  ship 
to  the  Pacific,  where  he  was  captured  by  the  Spaniards  and 
detained  for  nearly  two  years.  Soon  after  his  second  return 
to  the  United  States,  he  joined  the  Chesapeake,  Commodore 
Hull.  In  this  ship,  he  made  several  cruises  under  this  brave 
commander.  In  the  interval  between  the  Tripolitan  war  and 
that  w^hich  commenced  in  1812,  no  occasion  occurred  to  our 
naval  officers  by  which  they  signalized  themselves ;  w^e  there- 
fore pass  over  that  period  till  we  find  Lieutenant  Cassin  pro- 
moted to  the  command  of  the  Ticonderoga,  eighteen  guns, 
and  ordered  forthwith  to  join  the  squadron  commanded  by 
Macdonough  on  Lake  Champlain.  - 

Among  the  young  officers  of  the  navy  who  were  ordered 
on  the  lake  service,  and  destined  to  become  illustrious  in  our 
naval  annals  was  the  hero  of  these  memoirs. 

Commodore  Macdonough,  in  his  official  account  of  the  battle 
on  Lake  Champlain,  says,  "  The  Ticonderoga,  Lieutenant 
Commandant  Stephen  Cassin,  gallantly  sustained  her  full 
share  of  the  action."  In  this  sharp  conflict,  the  British  force 
was  superior  in  numbers;  being  the  frigate  Confiance,  thirty- 


CAPTAIN    STEPHEN    CASSIN.  283 

nine  guns ;  the  Linnet,  sixteen  guns ;  the  Finch,  eleven  guns ; 
and  thirteen  galleys,  carrying  eighteen  guns ;  in  all,  ninety-five 
guns,  nine  more  than  were  in  the  American  fleet ;  their  com- 
plement of  men  was  much  greater.     The  calmness  of  this 
lake  permitted  heavy  armaments  in  comparatively  light  vessels, 
and  of  this  circumstance  the  British  availed  themselves  to  the 
utmost,  giving  their  commander  a  ship  equal  in  force  to  the 
President  or  the  Constitution,  with  which  he — being  a  veteran 
officer' — made  sure  of  capturing  the  young  American  officer, 
ranking  only  as  lieutenant,  who  was  his  opponent  in  a  flag- 
ship of  twenty-six  guns.     But  it  is  here  seen,  that  "  the  race 
is  not  always  to  the  srvift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong.'''     Naval 
discipline,  skill,  coolness,  and  courage,  were  put  in  requisition 
in  this  battle,  united  with  daring  intrepidity  in  coming  down 
head  upon  the  line  of  an  enemy  of  superior  force.      As  a 
description  of  this  battle  has  been  given  in  the  memoir  of 
the   gallant  Commander  Macdonovigh,   it  is  unnecessary  to 
repeat  it  here.     Lieutenant  Cassin  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  post-captain,   and  received  from  Congress  a  gold  medal, 
an   engraving  of  which  is  given   in   Plate   XIIL,  in   com- 
memoration of  the  victory.     At  the  close  of  the  war.  Captain 
Cassin  commanded  the  Newport,  Rhode  Island  Station,  and 
since  had  command,  for  five  years,  of  the  Washington  Navy 
yard.     Captain  Cassin's  residence,  when  not  in  service,  has 
always  been  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington,  where  his  well- 
known  character  for  courage  and  ability,  and  his  amiable  and 
gentlemanly  deportment  have  drawn  around  him  a  large  circle 
of  friends.     Notwithstanding  the  difficulties  and  disappoint- 
ments attending  a  young  officer  in  his  first  naval  career,  and 
his  oppressing  captivity  in  Spain  for  two  years,  yet  his  un- 
daunted spirit  led  him  forward,  in  spite  of  every  untoward 
event  in  the  path  of  glory,  and  crowned  his  exertions  with 
success.  N 


284  CAPTAIN    STEPHEN    CASSIN. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Victory  on  Lake  Champlain. 

Device. — Bust  of  Lieutenant  Stephen  Cassin. 

Legend. — Step.  Cassin  Ticonderoga  prsefect.  quae  regio  in 
terris  nos.  non  plena  lab. 

Reverse. — A  fleet  engaged  before  a  town  enveloped  in 
smoke.     Several  boats  on  the  lake  filled  with  sailors  rowing. 

Legend. — Uno  latere  percusso  alterum  impavide  vertit. 

Exergue. — Inter  class.  Ameri.  etBrit.  die  11th  Sept.  1814. 


COMMODORE    WARRINaiON. 


Lewis  Warrington  is  the  descendant  of  an  old  and  re- 
spectable family  in  Williamsburgh,  near  Norfolk,  in  Virginia, 
where  he  was  born  on  the  3d  day  of  November,  1782.  He 
finished  the  higher  branches  of  his  education  at  William  and 
Mary  College  in  that  state.  The  habits  of  study  which  he 
acquired  at  that  excellent  institution,  and  the  associations 
which  he  formed,  have  never  forsaken  him,  but  have  con- 
tinued to  mark  his  character  and  augment  his  information,  at 
intervals  of  leisure,  amidst  the  toils  and  tumults,  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  of  a  naval  life.  In  consequence  of  an 
unusually  retentive  memory,  added  to  a  strong  attachment  to 
books,  his  mind  is  amply  enriched  with  general  knowledge. 
Shortly  after  the  completion  of  his  studies  at  Williamsburgh, 
he  received  an  appointment  in  the  navy  as  midshipman,  and 
entered  the  service  in  January,  1800.  His  first  cruise  was  on 
board  the  Chesapeake,  commanded  by  Captain  Samuel  Bar- 
ron, to  the  West  Indies.  In  1801  he  was  removed  to  the 
frigate  President,  Captain  Dale,  on  a  cruise  to  the  Mediter- 
ranean, but  returned  the  following  year.     During  the  same 


286  COMMODORE    WARRINGTON. 

year  he  returned  again  to  the  Mediterranean,  as  master's  mate 
in  the  frigate  New  York,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
James  Barron. 

At  Gibraltar  he  was  transferred  to  the  frigate  Chesapeake, 
then  on  her  return  to  the  United  States.  In  1803  he  again 
sailed  in  the  schooner  Vixen,  Captain  John  Smith,  to  join  the 
American  squadron  in  the  Mediterranean,  where,  actively 
participating  in  their  exertions  and  dangers,  he  was  justly 
entitled  to  share  the  glory  attendant  on  the  achievements  of 
that  band  of  heroes.  Late  in  the  year  1804  he  w^as  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  acting  lieutenant,  and  on  the  termina- 
tion of  hostilities  with  the  Tripolitans,  was  transferred,  with 
Captain  Smith,  to  the  brig  Syren,  and  in  the  succeeding 
year  to  the  schooner  Enterprise,  Captain  Porter,  and  returned 
to  the  United  States  in  1807.  From  that  period  until  1809 
he  was  variously  employed,  always  intent  on  his  own  improve- 
ment in  the  science  of  his  profession.  In  March  of  that  year 
he  was  appointed  first  lieutenant  on  board  the  brig  Syren, 
Captain  Charles  Gordon,  and  ordered  to  sail  to  France  with 
dispatches.  In  September,  1811,  he  was  appointed  first  lieu- 
tenant in  the  brig  Essex,  under  Captain  Smith,  who  not  long 
after  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  frigate  Congress, 
and  requested  as  a  favor  that  Lieutenant  Warrington  might 
be  permitted  to  accompany  him.  The  request  was  complied 
with,  and  Warrington  remained  with  his  friend.  Captain 
Smith,  until  March,  1813,  wdien  he  w^as  transferred  as  first 
lieutenant  to  the  frigate  United  States,  under  the  command  of 
Commodore  Decatur.  In  July  of  the  same  year,  at  the  par- 
ticular request  of  Decatur,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
master-commandant,  and  in  the  following  month  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  the  sloop-of-war  Peacock,  the 
vessel  in  which  his  fortune  conducted  him  to  victory  and  to 
glory.     The  following  is  an  extract  of  an  official  letter  from 


COMMODORE    WARRINGTON.  287 

Captain  Warrington  to  the  Secretary  of  llic  Navy,  dated  U. 
S.  sloop  Peacock,  at  sea,  29th  April,  1814.  He  says,  "  We 
have  this  morning  captured,  after  an  action  of  forty-two 
minutes,  his  majesty's  brig  Epervier,  rating  and  mounting 
eighteen  thirty -two  pound  carronades,  with  one  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  men,  of  whom  eight  were  killed  and  thirteen 
wounded.  Among  the  latter  is  her  first  lieutenant,  who  has 
lost  an  arm  and  received  a  severe  splinter  wound  on  the  hip. 
Not  a  man  in  the  Peacock  was  killed,  and  only  two  wounded  ; 
neither  dangerously  so.  The  fate  of  the  Epervier  would 
have  been  determined  in  much  less  time,  but  for  the  circum- 
stance of  our  foreyard  being  totally  disabled  by  two  round 
shot  in  the  starboard  quarter,  from  her  first  broadside,  which 
entirely  deprived  us  of  the  use  of  our  fore  and  fore-top  sails, 
and  compelled  us  to  keep  the  ship  large  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  the  action.  This,  with  a  few  topmast  and  top- 
gallant backstays  cut  away,  a  few  shot  through  our  sails,  is 
the  only  injury  the  Peacock  has  sustained.  Not  a  round 
shot  touched  our  hull ;  our  masts  and  spars  are  as  sound  as 
ever.  When  the  enemy  struck  he  had  five  feet  water  in  his 
hold,  his  main-topmast  was  over  the  side,  his  main-boom 
shot  away,  his  foremast  cut  nearly  in  two,  and  tottering ; 
his  fore-rigging  and  stays  shot  away,  his  bowsprit  badly 
wounded  and  forty-five  shot  holes  in  his  hull,  twenty  of 
which  were  wdthin  a  foot  of  his  water-line.  By  great  ex- 
ertion we  got  her  in  sailing  order  j\ist  as  the  dark  came  on.  In 
fifteen  minutes  after  tlie  enemy  struck,  the  Peacock  was  ready 
for  another  action,  in  every  respect  but  her  foreyard,  which 
was  sent  down,  fished,  and  had  the  foresail  set  again  in  forty- 
five  minutes ;  such  was  the  spirit  and  activity  of  our  gallant 
crew.  The  Epervier  had  under  her  convoy  an  English  brig, 
a  Russian  and  a  Spanish  ship,  which  all  hauled  their  wind 
and  stood  to  the  E.  N.  E.     J  had  determined  upon  pursuing 


288  COMMODORE    WARRINGTON. 

the  former,  but  found  that  it  would  not  answer  to  leave  our 
prize  in  her  then  crippled  state,  and  the  more  particularly  so, 
as  we  found  she  had  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars in  specie,  which  we  soon  transferred  to  the  Peacock. 
''  I  have  the  honor,  &c. 

"L.  Warrington." 

It  is  a  fact,  then,  which  no  candid  seaman  will  venture  to 
deny,  that,  taking  into  consideration  the  nature  of  the  action, 
one  hundred  and  twenty -eight  men — the  complement  of  the 
Epervier  when  the  conflict  commenced — were  capable  of  de- 
fending her,  and  annoying  their  enemy  with  as  much  effect  as 
one  hundred  and  forty-eight  could  have  done — the  complement 
in  full  of  the  crew  of  the  Peacock.  The  gallant  Warrington, 
therefore,  achieved  his  victory  with  triumphant  facility ;  not 
because  he  had  thirty  men  arid  one  fighting  gun  more  than  his 
enemy,  but  because  he  was  himself  superior  to  the  British 
captain  in  skill,  and  his  officers  and  crew  superior  to  their 
opponerits  in  firmness  and  gunnery. 

Congress  ordered  a  gold  medal  [see  Plate  XIII.)  to  be  struck 
and  presented  to  ''Captain  Lewis  Warrington,  of  Virginia, 
commander  of  the  sloop-of-war  Peacock,  for  the  capture  of 
the  British  brig  L'Epervier,  Captain  Wales,  April  29th,  1814." 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  British  brig  L'Epervier. 
Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Warrington. 
Legend. — Ludovicus  Warrington  dux  navalis  Amer. 
Reverse. — Tw^o  ships  engaged ;  the  topmast  of  one  shot  off". 
Legend. — Pro  patria  paratus  aut  vincere  aut  mori. 
Exergue. — Inter  Peacock  nav.  Ameri.  et  Epervier  nav. 
Anj?.  die  29th  March,  1814. 


:}'.) 


4.L 


CAPTAIN  JOHNSTON  BLAKELEY. 


Johnston  Blakeley  was  born  at  the  village  of  Seaford,  in 
the  county  of  Down,  Ireland,  in  the  month  of  October,  1781. 
At  the  age  of  two  years,  his  father,  John  Blakeley,  emigrated 
to  this  country,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  settled  in  Charleston, 
South  Carolina.  Not  meetinsf  with  the  encouragement  he 
expected,  he  removed,  with  his  family,  to  Wilmington,  North 
Carolina,  in  hopes  of  improving  his  business.  Soon  after  his 
establishment  at  this  place,  Mr.  Blakeley  was  deprived  of  his 
wife,  and  all  his  children,  except  his  son  Johnston. 

Ascribing  these  successive  and  painful  losses  to  the  un- 
healthy climate,  which  w^as  considered  peculiarly  unfavorable 
to  children,  he  was  induced  to  send  his  only  surviving  son  to 
New  York,  with  a  view  to  the  preservation  of  his  health,  and 
to  afford  him  an  opportunity  of  acquiring  an  education.  In 
the  year  1790,  Johnston  was  sent  to  that  city  and  confided  to 
the  care  of  Mr.  Hoope,  a  respectable  merchant  and  very  old 
friend  of  his  father.  After  attentively  pursuing  his  studies 
in  New  York,  for  five  years,  he  returned  to  Wilmington,  in 
37 


290  CAPTAIN    JOHNSTON   BLAKELEY. 

order  to  complete  his  education  at  the  university  of  Chapel 
Hill,  in  that  state.  Before  Johnston  had  been  one  year  in  this 
institution  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  father,  and  was 
now  without  a  single  relative  in  this  country,  to  whom  he 
could  look  for  advice,  or  protection,  or  assistance,  which  made 
it  necessary  for  him  to  choose  a  guardian.  In  this  choice,  he 
was  singularly  fortunate  in  the  selection  of  Mr.  Jones,  an 
eminent  lawyer  of  Wilmington,  who  most  tenderly  and  gene- 
rously supplied  the  place  of  a  father. 

With  occasional  intermissions,  he  remained  at  college  till 
the  year  1799,  when  by  some  misfortune,  he  was  deprived  of 
the  support  derived  from  his  father,  and  compelled  to  relinquish 
his  studies  at  the  university,  as  well  as  his  intention  of  prac- 
tising the  law. 

Having  long  had  a  predilection  for  a  naval  life,  which,  how- 
ever, he  had  from  his  affection  to  his  only  parent,  and  with  a 
self-denial  worthy  of  imitation,  concealed  from  him,  he  solicited, 
and  through  the  friendly  exertions  of  Mr.  Jones,  obtained  a 
midshipman's  warrant,  in  the  year  1800.  Mr.  Jones,  in  the 
interim,  being  anxious  that  his  young  ward  should  fulfil  the 
wishes  of  his  deceased  parent,  kindly  offered  to  receive  him  as 
a  member  of  his  family,  and  afford  him  every  facility  in  his 
power  to  complete  his  legal  studies.  Johnston,  unwilling  to 
accumulate  obligations  he  might  never  be  able  to  repay,  and 
stimulated  by  a  clear  perception  of  the  line  of  life  he  believed 
nature  had  marked  out  for  him,  declined  this  generous  offer. 

In  every  subsequent  situation,  he  retained  and  demonstrated 
the  most  grateful  recollection  of  the  friendship  of  Mr.  Jones, 
and  to  the  end  of  his  life  acknowledged  him  as  his  benefactor. 

The  gentleman  who  kindly  furnished  materials  for  this 
biography  writes  thus:  "As  anything  which  illustrates  the 
character  of  so  much   departed  worth,  especially  when  the 


CAPTAIN  JOHNSTON  BLAKELEY.  291 

qualities  of  the  heart  are  so  well  calculated  to  excite  our  ad- 
miration, cannot  but  be  interesting,  I  have  furnished  a  few 
extracts  from  the  letters  of  Captain  Blakeley,  written  to  me  at 
various  periods.  Having  been  deprived  of  his  father  at  an 
age  when  the  desire  of  Knowing  something  of  his  family  was 
beginning  to  be  felt,  it  was  not  in  his  power  to  gratify  his  in- 
quiries on  that  subject  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  until  May, 
1811,  when  I  had  the  pleasure  of  opening  a  correspondence 
with  him."  In  his  first  letter,  dated  on  board  the  United 
States  brig  Enterprise,  May  9th,  1811,  he  manifested  his 
anxiety  to  obtain  the  wished  for  information,  relative  to  his 
connections,  in  the  following  manner. 

"  It  would  afford  me  great  satisfaction  to  hear  from  you  all 
the  information  you  possess  respecting  my  relations. 

"  This  trouble  your  goodness  will  excuse,  when  I  inform 
you,  that  for  fourteen  years  I  have  not  beheld  one  being  to 
whom  I  was  bound  by  any  tie  of  consanguinity." 

In  another  letter,  written  soon  after,  he  observes — 

"  The  affection  manifested  by is  truly  grateful  to  my 

heart.  Indeed,  I  begin  already  to  feel  for  her  a  filial  regard, 
and  the  more  so,  as  it  was  my  lot  to  lose  my  mother  before  I 
was  sensible  of  a  mother's  tenderness." 

In  reply  to  a  letter,  in  which  the  solicitude  for  his  profes- 
sional reputation  was  cordially  expressed  by  the  lady  alluded 
to,  he  remarks — ''  Should  I  be  fortunate  enough  to  acquire  any 
fame,  my  good  old  friend  will  make  me  debtor  for  more  than 
half.  With  her  prayers  for  my  success  can  I  doubt  it?  I 
hope  the  last  Blakeley  who  exists,  will  lay  down  his  life  ere 
he  tarnish  the  reputation  of  those  who  have  gone  before  him. 
My  blessed  father's  memory  is  very  dear  to  me,  and  I  trust 
his  son  will  never  cast  a  reproach  on  it."  In  another,  he  ob- 
serves, "  It  is  true,  that  in  the  war  in  which  we  are  engaged, 
we  have  to  contend  under  great  disadvantages,  but  this  should 


292  CAPTAIN    JOHNSTON    BLAKELEY. 

stimulate  to  greater  exertions,  and  we  have  already  seen  that 
our  enemy  is  not  invincible."  In  a  letter,  dated  on  board  the 
Enterprise,  the  29th  of  April,  1813,  he  observes — "Indepen- 
dent of  personal  feeling,  I  rejoice  at  the  good  fortune  of  the 
navy,  believing  it  to  be  that  description  of  force  best  adapted 
to  the  defence  of  this  country.  I  confess  the  success  of  our 
sailors  has  been  much  greater  than  I  had  any  reason  to  expect, 
taking  into  view  the  many  difficulties  they  had  to  encounter. 
The  charm  which  once  seemed  to  have  encircled  the  British 
navy,  and  rendered  its  very  name  formidable,  appears  to  be 
fast  dispelling." 

In  a  letter,  dated  Newbury  port,  20th  of  January,  1814,  he 
remarks — "I  shall  ever  view  as  one  of  the  most  unfortunate 
events  of  my  life  having  quitted  the  Enterprise  at  the  moment 
I  did.  Had  I  remained  in  her  a  fortnight  longer,  my  name 
might  have  been  classed  with  those  who  stand  so  high.  I 
cannot  but  consider  it  a  mortifying  circumstance  that  I  left 
her  but  a  few  days  before  she  fell  in  with  the  only  enemy  on 
this  station  with  which  she  could  have  creditably  contended. 
I  confess  I  felt  heartily  glad  when  I  received  my  order  to  take 
command  of  the  Wasp,  conceiving  that  there  was  no  hope  of 
doing  anything  in  the  Enterprise.  But  when  I  heard  of  the 
contest  of  the  latter  ship,  and  witnessed  the  great  delay  in  the 
equipment  of  the  former,  I  had  no  cause  to  congratulate  my- 
self The  Peacock  has  ere  this  spread  her  plumage  to  the 
winds,  and  the  Frolic  will  soon  take  her  revels  on  the  ocean, 
but  the  Wasp  will,  I  fear,  remain  for  some  time  a  dull,  harm- 
less drone  in  the  waters  of  her  own  country.  Why  this  is,  I 
am  not  permitted  to  inquire  !"  These  extracts  will  strike  the 
reader  as  being  strongly  indicative  of  an  amiable  and  heroic 
character.  There  is  something  touching  in  his  gratitude  to 
the  good  old  lady  who  had  manifested  an  interest  in  his  suc- 
cesses.    There  is  something   noble  in  his  reference  to  the 


CAPTAIN    JOHNSTON    BLAKELEY.  293 

memory  of  his  father,  as  a  motive  stimulating  him  in  the  path 
of  honor;  and  there  is  something  heroic,  we  think,  in  the  un- 
affected manner  in  which  he  expresses  his  regret  at  having 
left  the  Enterprise. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  remark  here,  that  it  was  in  the  action 
between  that  vessel  and  the  Boxer,  that  Burrows  conquered, 
and  lost  his  life. 

Yet  Blakeley  regretted  he  had  not  been  in  his  place,  either 
because  he  considered  the  sacrifice  of  life  as  a  cheap  price  for 
the  purchase  of  glory,  or  had  forgotten,  in  his  love  of  fame, 
that  such  a  price  had  been  paid.  But  heVas  determined  be- 
fore long  to  acquire  at  least  equal  reputation,  and  to  perish 
equally  with  the  regrets  of  his  country.  After  various  ser- 
vices, Blakeley  was  appointed,  in  1813,  to  the  Wasp,  with  the 
rank  of  master  commandant. 

In  this  vessel  he  fell  in  with  his  Britannic  majesty's  ship 
Reindeer,  mounting  sixteen  twenty-four  pound  carronades, 
two  long  nine  pounders,  and  a  shifting  twelve  pound  carron- 
ade ;  and  having  a  complement  of  one  hundred  and  eighteen 
men.  An  action  commenced,  and,  in  nineteen  minutes  ended 
in  the  capture  of  the  Reindeer.  The  loss  of  the  Americans 
was  twenty-one  killed  and  wounded ;  that  of  the  enemy  sixty- 
seven.  The  Reindeer  was  cut  to  pieces  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  render  it  impossible  to  save  her,  and  she  was  accordingly 
set  on  fire.  After  this  the  Wasp  put  into  L' Orient;  from 
which  port  she  sailed  on  the  27th  of  August,  and  four  days 
afterwards,  falling  in  with  ten  sail  of  merchantmen,  under  a 
convoy  of  a  ship  of  the  line,  she  succeeded  in  cutting  off  one 
of  the  vessels.  On  the  evening  of  the  first  of  September, 
1814,  she  fell  in  with  four  sail,  two  on  each  bow,  but  at  con- 
siderable distances  from  each  other.  The  first  was  the  British 
brig-of-war  Avon,  whicii  struck  after  a  severe  action ;  but 
Captain  Blakeley  could  not  take  possession,  as  another  enemy 


294  CAPTAIN    JOHNSTON    BLAKELEY. 

was  fast  approaching.  This  enemy,  it  seems,  however,  was 
called  off  to  the  assistance  of  the  Avon,  which  was  now  sink- 
ing. The  enemy  reported  that  they  had  sunk  the  Wasp  by 
the  first  broadside  ;  but  she  was  afterwards  spoken  by  a  vessel 
off  the  Western  Isles.  After  this  we  hear  of  her  no  more ; 
and  though  her  fate  is  certain,  the  circumstances  attending  it 
are  beyond  the  reach  of  discovery.  The  most  general  im- 
pression is  that  she  was  lost  by  one  of  those  casualties  inci- 
dent to  the  great  deep,  which  have  destroyed  so  many  gallant 
vessels  in  a  manner  no  one  knows  how ;  for  there  are  so  many 
uncertainties  connected  with  the  unfathomable  deep,  that  even 
imagination  is  bewildered  in  tracing  the  fate  of  those  who  are 
only  known  to  have  perished,  because  they  are  never  more 
heard  of  or  seen.     ' 

Another  impression  is,  that  the  Wasp,  very  shortly  after 
being  spoken  off  the  Western  Isles,  had  a  severe  engagement 
with  a  British  frigate,  which  put  into  Lisbon  in  a  shattered 
condition ;  and  reported  having  had  an  action,  in  the  night, 
with  a  vessel  which  they  believed  to  have  sunk.  But  what- 
ever may  have  been  the  fate  of  the  generous  Blakeley,  this 
much  is  certain,  that  he  will,  to  use  his  own  expression,  "  be 
classed  among  those  names  that  stand  so  high." 

The  lustre  of  his  exploits,  not  less  than  the  interest  excited 
by  those  who  remembered  how,  in  his  very  boyhood,  he  was 
left,  as  he  says,  without  a  single  being  around  him  with  whom 
he  could  claim  kindred  blood, — how,  by  his  merit,  he  obtained 
friends,  and  conferred  honor  on  that  country  which  was  not 
only  his  parent,  but  which  has  become  the  parent  of  his  only 
child;  and  how,  last  of  all,  he  perished,  is  known  only  to 
One  who  rules  the  sea,  and  commands  the  troubled  waves  to 
"be  still;" — has  ail  given  to  his  character,  his  history,  his 
achievements  and  his  fate,  a  romantic  interest,  marking  the 
name  of  Blakeley  for  lasting  and  affectionate  remembrance. 


CAPTAIN    JOHNSTON    BLAKELEY.  295 

Notwithstanding  his  professional  duties,  which  were  scarcely 
interrupted  from  the  time  of  his  obtaining  a  warrant,  his  lite- 
rary and  scientific  acquirements  were  very  respectable ;  and 
among  his  brother  officers  he  was  always  considered  a  man  of 
uncommon  intellect,  as  well  as  great  courage  and  professional 
skill. 

In  December,  1813,  he  married  Jane,  the  daughter  of  Mr. 
Hoope,  of  New  York,  the  old  and  respected  friend  of  his 
father ;  by  whom  he  has  left  an  only  daughter,  who  received 
one  of  the  most  noble  and  substantial  tributes  of  national 
gratitude  which  has  occurred  in  the  history  of  this  country. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1816,  the  legislature  of  North 
Carolina,  after  prescribing  the  destination  of  the  sword  they 
had  voted  to  Captain  Blakeley,  "  Resolved  unanimously, 
that  Captain  Blakeley's  child  be  educated  at  the  expense  of 
this  state ;  and  that  Mrs.  Blakeley  be  requested  to  draw  on 
the  treasurer  of  this  state,  from  time  to  time,  for  such  sums  of 
money  as  shall  be  required  for  the  education  of  the  said  child." 
This,  we  repeat,  is  substantial  gratitude.  It  is  classical,  too, 
and  reminds  us  of  those  noble  eras  in  the  history  of  some  of 
the  illustrious  states  of  Greece,  when  the  offspring  of  those 
who  had  fallen  for  their  country,  became  the  children  of  that 
country  whose  cause  had  made  them  fatherless.  It  is  in  this 
way  that  our  states  may  acquire  a  parental  character,  that 
will  endear  them  still  more  to  the  hearts  of  the  citizens  ;  that 
will  inspire  fathers  to  die  in  defence  of  their  country,  and  be 
held  up  as  an  example  to  the  world 

It  is  in  this  way,  too,  that  the  different  members  of  the 
Union  may  nobly  indulge  their  local  feelings,  and  display  their 
honest  homebred  affections.  Let  them  exemplify  their  desire 
to  appropriate  to  themselves  the  fame  of  their  distinguished 
citizens,  by  their  peculiar  care  in  honoring  their  memory  and 
cherishing  their  helpless  orphans.     A  gold  medal  {see  Plate 


296  CAPTAIN    JOHNSTON    BLAKELEY. 

XIV.)  was,  by  a  vote  of  Congress,  presented  to  Captain 
Blakeley,  for  the  capture  of  the  British  sloop-of-war  Rein- 
deer, Captain  Manners,  June  28th,  1814. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  Reindeer. 

Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Blakeley. 

Legend. — Johnston  Blakeley  reip.  fed.  Amer.  nav.  Wasp, 
dux. 

Reverse. — Two  ships  engaged. 

Legend. — Eheu!  Bis  victor.     P atria  tua  te  luget  plauditq. 

Exergue. — Inter  Wasp  nav.  Ameri.  et  Reindeer  nav.  Ang. 
28th  June,  1814. 


CAPT.    CHAELES    STEWART. 


Charles  Stewart  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  on  the  22d 
of  July,  1776.  Both  his  parents  were  natives  of  Ireland. 
His  father  came  to  America  at  an  early  age,  and  followed  the 
business  of  a  mariner  in  the  merchants'  service.  Charles  was 
the  youngest  of  eight  children,  and  before  he  was  quite  two 
years  of  age  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  father ;  his  mother 
w^as  now  left  in  the  midst  of  the  Revolution  wdth  four  children 
to  provide  for,  and  with  but  limited  means,  but  being  a  woman 
of  great  energy  and  perseverance,  she  performed  the  arduous 
task  with  the  care  and  affection  of  a  devoted  parent.  At  the 
age  of  thirteen,  Charles,  having  a  strong  propensity  for  a  sea- 
faring life,  commenced  that  profession  in  the  merchant  service, 
in  which  he  gradually  rose,  through  the  several  grades,  from 
a  cabin  boy  to  the  commander  of  a  merchant  vessel,  and  was 
often  entrusted  with  the  sale  and  purchase  of  whole  cargoes. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1798,  when  there  was  a  strong 
probability  of  a  war  with  France,  he  was  induced  to  offer  his 
services  to  his  country.  They  were  accepted  ;  and  on  the 
13th  of  March,  1798,  he  was  appoint-ed  a  lieutenant  in  the 
3S 


298  CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART. 

navy  of  the  United  States,  under  the  command  of  Commo- 
dore Barry.  In  this  ship  he  remained  until  1800,  when  he 
was  promoted  to  the  command  of  the  United  States  schooner 
Experiment,  of  twelve  guns,  to  cruise  on  the  West  India 
station.  On  the  1st  of  September,  in  the  same  year,  he  fell 
in  with  the  French  schooner  Deux  Amis,  (Two  Friends,)  of 
eight  guns,  which  the  Experiment  engaged  and  captured 
without  any  loss,  after  an  action  of  ten  minutes.  The  follow- 
ing patriotic  act  will  ever  be  remembered  by  his  country. 
"  Being  short  of  water,  he  proceeded  to  Prince  Rupert's  Bay, 
in  St.  Domingo,  and  while  there,  his  Britannic  majesty's  ship 
Alert,  Captain  Nash,  accompanied  by  his  majesty's  ship  Siam, 
Captain  Matson,  arrived  and  anchored;  soon  after  Lieutenant 
Stewart  received  a  letter  from  a  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
named  Amos  Seeley,  stating  that  he  had  been  impressed  on 
board  the  British  ship  Siam,  and  claiming  an  interference  for 
his  release.  Although  Lieutenant  Stewart's  power  w^as  in- 
adequate to  enforce  his  demand  for  the  surrender  of  Seeley,  the 
two  ships  mounting  twenty  guns  each,  his  patriotic  heart  could 
not  withstand  the  appeal  of  his  countryman,  and,  prompted 
by  that  chivalry  and  patriotism  which  were  destined  to  blaze 
out  in  after  life  so  gloriously,  he  resolved  on  opening  a  cor- 
respondence with  the  British  captain  for  the  release  of  Seeley. 
A  polite  note  w^as  addressed  by  Lieutenant  Stewart  to  the 
senior  officer,  conveying  the  request  that  Amos  Seeley  might 
be  transferred  from  his  majesty's  ship  Siam  to  the  schooner 
under  his  command,  that  he  might  be  restored  to  his  family 
and  his  home.  The  British  captain  demurred,  but  in  answer 
requested  a  personal  interview,  wherein  he  remarked  to  Lieu- 
tenant Stewart,  that  the  w^ar  in  which  his  majesty  w^as  engaged 
was  arduous;  that  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  men  for  his 
numerous  fleets  and  ships  of  war  was  great,  and  that  he 
should  encounter  great  hazard  of  being  censured  by  his  go- 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART.  299 

vernmeiit  should  he  lessen  his  force  by  yielding  up  his  men; 
urging,  moreover,  that  the  example  would  be  injurious  to  the 
service.  Lieutenant  Stewart  replied,  in  substance,  that  the 
British  officers  had  too  long  trampled  on  the  rights  and  liber- 
ties of  his  countrymen,  and  it  was  high  time  they  had  learned 
to  respect  the  rights  and  persons  of  an  independent  nation ; 
that  whatever  power  his  majesty  claimed  over  his  own  sub- 
jects, he  had  no  right  to  exercise  it  over  a  people  who  had 
forced  him  to  acknowledge  their  independence;  that  to  resume 
this  power  was  to  belie  his  own  solemn  act,  and  practise  a 
deception  on  the  world.  It  was  stated  in  answer,  that  Seeley 
was  impressed  in  England  as  an  Englishman ;  to  which  Lieu- 
tenant Stew^art  replied  : — "  Then  prove  him  so  and  I  have 
done  ;  but  if  you  cannot,  I  am  prepared  to  prove  him  a  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States."  Seeley  was  at  once  transferred  to 
the  schooner.  Shortly  after,  wdiile  cruising  under  the  lee  of 
the  Island  of  Bermuda,  the  Experiment  discovered  two  ves- 
sels, one  a  brig  of  war,  the  other  a  three-masted  schooner, 
both  standing  for  her  under  a  press  of  sail,  and  displaying 
English  colors.  The  Experiment  hove  to,  and  the  British 
signal  of  the  day  w^as  made,  which  not  being  answered  by  the 
strange  vessels  by  the  time  they  were  wTthin  gunshot,  that 
signal  was  hauled  down,  and  the  Experiment  stood  away  ^^'ith 
all  sail  set.  A  chase  was  now  commenced  which  lasted  two 
hours,  w^hen,  finding  they  were  outsailed  by  the  Experiment, 
they  relinquished  the  pursuit,  and  bore  away  under  easy  sail, 
firincr  a  orun  to  windward  and  hoistino^  French  colors.  Lieu- 
tenant  Stewart  now  manoeuvred  his  schooner  so  as  to  bring 
her  in  the  enemy's  wake,  to  windward,  when  a  chase  was 
made  on  his  part.  At  eight  o'clock  at  night  the  Experiment 
closed  with  the  three-masted  schooner,  which  was  the  stern- 
most  of  the  hostile  vessels ;  and  having  taken  a  position  on 
her  larboard  quarter,  opened  a  fire  upon  her  from  the  great 


300  CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART. 

guns  and  small  arms,  which  in  about  five  minutes  compelled 
her  to  strike.  She  was  immediately  taken  possession  of,  and 
proved  to  be  the  French  schooner-of-w^ar  Diana,  of  fourteen 
guns  and  sixty -five  men,  commanded  by  M.  Perandeau,  Lieu- 
tenant de  Vaisseau.  The  detention  occasioned  by  removing 
the  prisoners,  enabled  the  brig-of-war  to  escape.  She  mounted, 
as  was  afterwards  learned,  eighteen  guns,  and  had  a  crew  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  men.  The  Experiment  proceeded 
to  St.  Christopher's  with  her  prize.  During  this  important 
cruise,  the  Experiment  re-captured  several  American  vessels, 
sometimes  as  many  as  two  or  three  in  a  day,  and  thus  rescued 
American  property  to  an  immense  amount. 

Accounts  now  arrived  of  peace  having  been  made  with  the 
French  republic ;  the  Experiment  was  thereupon  sent  from 
Martinique  to  the  Island  of  St.  Thomas,  and  from  thence  to 
Curacoa,  to  look  for  the  United  States  brig  Pickering  and 
frigate  Insurgent,  but  nothing  could  be  heard  of  those  vessels 
at  that  place ;  they  had  both  foundered  in  the  equinoxial  gale, 
with  a  store-ship  under  their  care,  and  all  hands  perished.  On 
leaving  Curacoa,  the  Experiment  proceeded  to  Norfolk,  Vir- 
ginia, to  be  put  out  of  commission. 

On  her  passage  thither,  she  discovered  a  vessel  in  distress, 
near  the  Island  of  Saona,  at  the  east  end  of  Hispaniola ;  and 
had  the  good  fortune  to  rescue  from  the  jaws  of  death,  about 
sixty  persons  who  were  on  board  of  her.  They  consisted 
chiefly  of  families  of  the  most  respectable  inhabitants  of  St. 
Domingo,  flying  from  the  siege  of  that  city  by  the  blacks. 
The  persons  thus  saved  from  destruction  had  remained  two 
days  without  any  nourishment,  on  a  small  part  of  the  quarter- 
deck of  their  vessel,  which  had  struck  upon  a  rock  that  went 
through  her  bottom  and  fixed  her  to  the  reef;  the  greatest  part 
of  her  being  under  water.  They  were  placed  in  safety  on 
board  of  the  Experiment,  with  their  plate  and  other  valuables. 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART.  301 

which  the  sailors  had  recovered  by  diving  into  the  hold  of  the 
wreck,  notwithstanding  the  roughness  of  the  sea.  They  were 
soon  restored  in  safety  to  their  friends  in  St.  Domingo. 

They,  and  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  in  general,  expressed 
to  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Experiment  their  most  grateful 
thanks,  showed  them  every  possible  civility  and  attention,  and 
furnished  them  with  fruits  and  all  kinds  of  stock  which  the 
island  afforded  in  such  profusion,  that  much  of  the  supply 
was  obliged  to  be  returned.  Soon  after  Lieutenant  Stewart's 
return  to  the  United  States,  he  was  appointed  to  the  command 
of,  and  to  superintend  the  equipment  of  the  brig  Siren  for  the 
Mediterranean  service ;  so  much  activity  was  employed  in  fit- 
ting her  out  that  she  was  completely  coppered  in  ten  hours. 
After  convoying  some  merchant-vessels,  and  conveying  the 
naval  consular  presents  to  Algiers,  she  proceeded  to  Syracuse, 
in  Sicily,  the  port  appointed  for  the  general  rendezvous  of  the 
squadron.  Here  they  heard  of  the  capture  of  the  frigate 
Philadelphia  by  the  Tripolitans;  and  Lieutenant  Stewart 
hastened  with  the  brig  Siren  to  aid  the  gallant  Decatur  in 
his  victorious  eiforts  against  these  savages ;  the  particulars  of 
which  are  given  in  the  memoirs  of  those  to  which  they  belong- 
a  victory  which  caused  the  pope  to  exclaim,  '*  the  Americans 
have  done  more  for  Christendom  in  one  battle,  than  all  Europe 
in  a  century."  On  the  17th  of  May,  1804,  Lieutenant  Stew- 
art was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  master  and  commander ;  and 
on  the  22d  of  April,  1806,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  cap- 
tain in  the  navy.  The  years  of  1806  and  1807  he  was  em- 
ployed in  superintending  the  construction  of  gun-boats  at 
New  York,  and  was  afterwards  engaged  in  prosecuting  mer- 
cantile enterprises  to  the  East  Indies,  the  Mediterranean  and 
Adriatic.  In  1812,  on  the  prospect  of  a  war  with  Great  Bri- 
tain, he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  frigate  Constel- 
lation ;  but  as  that  ship  required  so  much  repairs,  there  was 


302  CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART. 

little  hope  of  getting  her  to  sea  before  the  beginning  of  1813. 
Captain  Stewart,  on  the  declaration  of  w^ar,  proceeded  to 
Washington,  and  projected  an  expedition  for  the  Argus  and 
Hornet.  The  President  and  Secretary  of  the  Navy  approved 
of  it  and  appointed  Captain  Stewart  to  undertake  its  direc- 
tion. On  his  return  to  New  York,  he  found  that  those  ves- 
sels had  sailed  with  the  squadron  under  the  command  of 
Commodore  Rodgers;  the  project  of  course  was  abandoned. 
He,  therefore  resumed  the  command  of  the  Constellation,  and 
on  the  4th  of  February,  1813,  w^as  anchored  in  Hampton 
Roads.  Having  learned  that  the  enemy  were  off  the  Chesa- 
peake in  great  force,  and  presuming  that  they  would  soon  be 
informed  of  her  situation,  Captain  Stewart  sent  to  Hampton, 
at  midnight,  for  a  Norfolk  pilot,  in  order  to  be  prepared  for  a 
retreat  if  it  should  become  necessary.  At  seven  o'clock  the 
next  morning,  the  enemy  appeared  with  two  ships  of  the  line, 
three  frigates,  a  brig  and  a  schooner.  No  time  w^as  now  to  be 
lost.  Captain  Stewart  got  up  his  anchor,  and  there  being  no 
wind,  and  the  ebb  tide  making,  commenced  kedging  his  ship 
towards  Norfolk.  He  succeeded  in  getting  her  partly  over 
the  flats  at  Sew^ell's  Point,  when  the  tide  had  fallen  so  much 
that  she  took  the  ground.  By  this  time  the  enemy  were 
within  three  miles,  when  they  were  obliged  to  anchor.  Cap- 
tain Stewart,  apprehensive  that  they  would  kedge  up  one  of 
their  line-of-battle  ships,  pressed  all  the  craft  he  could  lay 
hold  of,  unloaded  his  frigate  of  every  thing  that  could  be 
removed,  and  made  preparations  for  burning  her,  in  the  last 
extremity.  He  sent  to  Norfolk  for  the  gun-boats  to  assist  him, 
but  such  was  their  condition  that  none  of  them  could  be  sent 
to  him. 

As  the  enemy  lay  quiet  for  the  want  of  wind,  until  the 
flood-tide  made,  Captain  Stewart  continued  lightening  the 
ship.     At  the  first  quarter  she  floated.     He  then  sent  ofl"  the 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART.  303 

boats  with  a  pilot  to  station  them  on  the  different  shoals  with 
Hghts ;  and  with  these  precautions  he  was  enabled  to  get  the 
ship  up  to  Norfolk  in  the  night,  through  a  difficult  channel. 
Her  safe  retreat  diffused  universal  joy  among  the  inhabitants 
of  that  city,  to  whose  protection  she  afterwards  greatly  con- 
tributed. A  division  of  gun-boats  was  put  in  condition  for 
service,  and  manned  from  her  crew.  By  this  means  the  com- 
munication with  James'  river  and  Hampton  was  kept  open, 
and  every  facility  afforded  to  the  transportation  of  the  troops 
to  their  different  stations.  Captain  Stewart  seeing  that  there 
was  hardly  a  possibility  of  getting  the  Constellation  to  sea, 
applied  for  and  obtained  in  June,  1813,  the  command  of  the 
frigate  Constitution,  then  vacant  by  the  appointment  of  Com- 
modore Bainbridge  to  the  superintendence  of  the  navy  yard 
at  Boston.  On  the  30th  of  December,  in  the  same  year,  the 
Constitution  proceeded  to  sea  from  Boston  harbor,  although  it 
was  then  blockaded  by  seven  ships-of-war.  During  this  cruise 
she  captured  the  British  schooner-of-war  Picton,  of  sixteen 
guns,  together  with  a  letter-of-marque  ship  under  her  convoy ; 
the  brig  Catharine  and  schooner  Phoenix,  and  chased  a  British 
frigate,  supposed  to  be  the  La  Pique,  in  the  Mona  passage. 
On  the  4th  of  April,  1814,  she  returned  to  Boston  Bay,  and 
was  chased  into  Marblehead  by  two  of  the  enemy's  heavy 
frigates,  La  Nymphe  and  Junon.  In  December,  1814,  she 
proceeded  on  her  second  cruise  under  the  command  of  Cap- 
tain Stewart ;  and  on  the  •24th  of  ^he  same  month,  she  cap- 
tured and  destroyed  the  brig  Lord  Nelson.  She  cruised  off 
Cape  Finisterre,  the  rock  of  Lisbon,  and  the  Madeiras,  with- 
out meeting  with  anything  except  a  merchant  ship  from  the 
river  Pl^te;  but  on  the  20th  of  February,  1815,  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  two  ships  were  discovered  to  leeward.  Chase 
was  given  immediately  to  one  of  those  vessels,  which  was 
several  miles  to  windward  of  the  other,  for  the  purpose  ot 


304  CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART. 

cuttinof  her  off  from  her  consort,  but  without  eifect ;  for  at 
sunset  they  formed  a  junction  and  prepared  to  receive  the 
Constitution. 

She  soon  got  alongside  of  them,  and  commenced  the  action, 
which  was  kept  up  wdth  considerable  vivacity  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy,  for  about  forty  minutes,  w^hen  the  headmost  ship 
bore  aw^ay,  and  the  sternmost  struck  her  flag.  The  latter, 
which  proved  to  be  his  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Cyane,  rated 
at  twenty  and  mounting  thirty-four  guns,  was  taken  posses- 
sion of,  and  her  consort  w^as  pursued  without  delay.  She  too, 
the  Levant  of  tw^enty-one  guns,  was  compelled  to  surrender, 
after  exchanging  broadsides.  In  these  actions,  the  Constitu- 
tion  had  three  men  killed  and  thirteen  wounded.  The  British 
ships  having  in  all  thirty-five  killed  and  forty-two  wounded. 
Captain  Stewart  proceeded  with  these  prizes  to  the  Island  of 
St.  Jago,  one  of  the  Cape  de  Verd  islands,  with  a  view  to  di- 
vest his  ship  of  the  numerous  prisoners,  consisting  of  officers, 
seamen,  and  marines  of  both  ships  of  the  enemy,  amounting 
to  nearly  four  hundred.  While  making  arrangements  for 
dispatching  them  at  Port  Praya,  for  Barbadoes,  the  British 
squadron,  consisting  of  the  ships-of-war  the  Acasta,  of  fifty 
guns,  the  Newcastle  of  sixty-four  guns,  and  the  Leander  of 
sixty -four  guns,  under  the  command  of  Sir  George  Collier, 
reached  his  position  under  the  cover  of  a  thick  fog.  Notwith- 
standing their  near  approach.  Captain  Stewart  determined  to 
retreat,  and  immediately ^the  Constitution  and  her  prizes  cut 
their  cables  and  crow^ded  sail  to  escape.  He  was  fortunate  in 
being  able,  by  his  skillful  management  and  manoeuvres,  to  save 
from  their  grasp  his  favorite  frigate  Constitution,  and  the 
Cyane.  The  Levant  w^as  captured  by  the  squadron*and  sent 
to  Barbadoes. 

After  this  escape,  he  proceeded  with  the  Constitution  to 
Maranam,  in  the  Brazils,  and  landed  the  prisoners,  refreshed 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART.  305 

his  crews,  refitted  liis  vessel,  and  returned  to  Boston,  where 
he  and  his  officers  wxre  received  with  the  usual  courtesies  by 
their  fellow-  citizens.  On  his  way  through  New  York,  the 
common  council  honored  Captain  Stewart  with  the  freedom 
of  the  city  in  a  gold  box,  and  extended  towards  him  and  his 
officers  the  courteous  hospitalities  of  that  great  city,  by  a 
public  dinner.  The  legislature  of  Pennsylvania  voted  him 
their  thanks,  and  directed  a  gold-hilted  sword  to  be  presented 
to  him. 

On  the  meeting  of  Congress,  the  assembled  representatives 
of  the  nation  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Captain  Stewart,  his 
officers,  and  crew;  and  resolved  that  a  suitable  gold  medal 
{See  Plate  XIV.)  commemorative  of  that  brilliant  event,  the 
capture  of  the  two  British  ships-of-war,  the  Cyane  and  Levant, 
by  the  Constitution,  should  be  presented  to  Captain  Stewart, 
in  testimony  of  the  sense  they  entertained  of  his  gallantry 
and  that  of  his  officers,  seamen,  and  marines,  under  his  com- 
mand on  that  occasion.  The  w^ar  with  Great  Britain  having- 
terminated,  the  Constitution  w^as  put  out  of  commission,  and 
laid  up  in  ordinary. 

In  1816,  Captain  Stewart  took  command  of  the  Franklin 
ship  of  the  line,  of  seventy -four  guns,  and  in  1817,  she  was 
fitted  out  at  Philadelphia  as  a  flag  ship  and  directed  to  sail  for 
England,  to  convey  the  Hon.  Richard  Rush  as  minister  to  the 
court  of  Great  Britain,  after  which  the  Franklin  proceeded  to 
the  Mediterranean,  and  Captain  Stewart  toolv  command  of 
the  forces  of  the  United  States  in  that  sea.  Since  our  country 
has  been  at  peace,  he  has  been  alternately  employed  either  in 
command  of  squadrons  abroad,  or  in  superintending  the  navy 
at  home.  Such  is  the  brief  outline  of  the  life  of  this  gallant 
officer,  one  of  Pennsylvania's  cherished  sons,  who  has  con- 
tributed his  services  and  his  counsels  for  half  a  century,  for 

the  protection  of  our  commerce  and  for  the  glory  of  the  navy. 
39 


306  CAPTAIN  CHARLES  STEWART. 

Long  may  he  live  to  serve  his  country  and  wear  the  laurels 
which  victory  and  fame  have  en  wreathed  for  his  brow. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    ]\IEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  Cyane  and  Levant. 

Device. — A  bust  of  Captain  Stewart. 

Legend. — Carolus  Stewart  navis  Ameri.  Constitution  dux. 

Reverse. — Two  ships  closely  engaged;  a  third  at  a  little 
distance. 

Legend. — Una  victoriam  eripiut  ratibus  binis. 

Exergue. — Inter  Constitu.  nav.  Ameri.  et  Levant  et  Cyane 
nav.  Ang.  die  20th  Feb.  1815. 


CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE 


James  Biddle,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  is  the  son  of 
the  late  Charles  Biddle,  Esquire,  of  Philadelphia,  and  was 
born  in  that  city  on  the  18th  of  February,  1783.  He  was 
educated  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  where  he  ac- 
quired a  taste  for  literature,  which,  in  the  intervals  of  profes- 
sional duty,  has  been  most  assiduously  cultivated. 

In  the  year  1800,  the  American  navy  offered  the  most  flat- 
tering prospects  to  the  aspiring  youth  of  our  country.  Its 
fame  acquired  by  the  war  with  France  was  rapidly  increasing. 
The  brilliant  success  of  Captain  Truxtun,  in  his  victory  with 
the  French  frigates  Insurgente  and  Vengeance,  gave  additional 
eclat  to  the  navy. 

To  this  distinguished  commander,  Mr.  Biddle  entrusted  the 
care  of  his  two  sons,  James  and  Edward,  who,  on  obtaining 
midshipmen's  warrants,  were  attached  to  the  frigate  President, 
fitting  for  the  West  Indies.  The  cessation  of  hostilities  with 
France  brought  the  frigate  again  to  the  United  States  after  a 
much  shorter  cruise  than  was  intended,  but  which  was  ren- 
dered memorable  by  the  melancholy  death  of  Mr.  Edward 


308  CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE. 

Biddle,  who  died  at  sea  of  a  fever  after  an  illness  of  a  few 
days.  Early  in  1802,  James  Biddle  sailed  to  the  Mediterra- 
nean, in  the  frigate  Constellation,  Captain  Murray,  to  protect 
American  commerce  against  Tripolitan  cruisers.  This  gave 
our  young  officer  valuable  opportunities  of  renewing  his  ac- 
quaintance with  classic  writers,  and  remains  of  antiquity,  ob- 
tained by  him  during  his  studies  at  the  University,  and  which 
were  to  him  an  additional  fund  of  instruction  and  gratification. 
The  Constellation  returned  home  in  1803,  and  Mr.  Biddle  was 
transferred  to  the  frigate  Philadelphia,  Captain  Bainbridge, 
and  returned  aorain  to  the  Mediterranean,  where  this  unfortu- 
nate  ship  struck  upon  a  rock,  and  was  lost. 

When  all  efforts  to  get  the  Philadelphia  afloat  were  found 
to  be  unavailing.  Lieutenant  Porter  and  Midshipman  Biddle 
were  dispatched  to  the  commander  to  inform  him  of  the  acci- 
dent. As  they  approached  the  Tripolitan  gun-boats,  they 
were  fired  upon  and  ordered  to  surrender.  Porter  and  Biddle 
were  prepared  to  deliver  up  their  swords,  but  this  ceremony 
was  dispensed  with  by  the  savage  Tripolitans;  twenty  of 
whom,  of  the  most  ferocious  appearance,  armed  with  sabres, 
pistols,  and  muskets,  jumped  into  the  boat,  and  at  once  com- 
menced their  work  of  insult  and  plunder.  Two  of  them 
snatched  Biddle's  sword,  pulled  off  his  coat,  and  began  to  fight 
for  it,  when,  to  decide  their  dispute,  they  returned  it  to  him. 

His  cravat  was  violently  torn  from  his  neck,  his  waistcoat 
and  shirt  torn  open,  in  search  for  valuables  that  might  be  con- 
cealed about  his  person.  They  searched  all  his  pockets,  and 
took  all  his  papers  and  money,  except  twenty  dollars  in  gold, 
which  he  had  slipped  into  his  boot  and  thereby  secured.  The 
officers  and  crew  were  then  carried  on  shore,  conducted  amidst 
the  shouts  and  acclamations  of  a  barbarous  rabble  to  the  palace 
gates,  and  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the  bashaw,  who,  seated 
in  state,  received  them  in  the  audience  chamber;  and  after 


CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE.  309 

asking  a  variety  of  questions  about  the  American  squadron, 
they  were  conducted  to  the  place  assigned  for  safe  keeping. 

There  is  no  subject  which  the  imagination  can  present  to 
us  more  full  of  horror  than  that  of  slavery  among  the  barba- 
rians of  Africa.  In  this  situation,  ignorant  of  the  fate  of  their 
companions,  and  doubtful  of  their  own,  they  continued  nine- 
teen months  in  close  and  rigorous  confinement,  in  want  of 
pure  air,  exercise,  and  employment,  with  occasional  threats  by 
the  bashaw  of  his  vengeance ;  circumstances  calculated  to  im- 
pair the  health  and  break  the  spirits  of  the  strongest  and  most 
resolute.  Yet  happily  they  preserved  their  health  and  their 
spirits  unbroken. 

They  considered  it  a  point  of  honor  to  be  firm  and  cheerful, 
to  disregard  the  threats  of  the  barbarians,  and  to  sustain  by 
an  unconquerable  fortitude  the  character  of  their  country.  In 
consequence  of  the  peace  with  Tripoli,  in  the  month  of  Septem- 
ber, 1805,  they  were  liberated,  and  Captain  Bainbridge  and 
Midshipman  Biddle,  who  had  not  separated  since  the  loss  of 
the  frigate,  returned  together  to  Philadelphia.  Upon  the  re- 
lease of  Mr.  Biddle,  he  was  promoted  to  a  lieutenancy,  and  after 
remaining  at  home  but  a  few  weeks,  he  was  ordered  to  the 
command  of  one  of  the  gun-boats,  then  lying  at  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  but  finding  this  service  both  inactive  and  irk- 
some, he  obtained  an  appointment  as  second  lieutenant  in  the 
frigate  President,  under  the  command  of  his  friend  Captain 
Bainbridge.  In  this,  and  other  similar  situations,  he  had  op- 
portunities to  display  a  character  of  firmness  and  decision, 
jealous  of  personal  honor,  and  aspiring  to  deeds  of  enterprise 
and  of  fame.  In  1811  he  sailed  as  bearer  of  dispatches  from 
our  government  to  the  American  minister  in  France,  and  re- 
mained in  Paris  nearly  four  months,  during  which  he  was 
presented  to  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  and  attended  all  the 
parties  given  at  the  Tuileries. 


310  CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE. 

Lieutenant  Biddle  had  but  recently  returned  from  France, 
when  the  war  was  declared  between  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain.  He  at  once  availed  himself  of  the  first  chance 
of  service,  and  accordingly  volunteered  his  services  to  Commo- 
dore RodgerSjWho  had  command  of  the  frigate  President,  but 
unfortunately  the  number  of  officers  was  complete  before  he 
made  application.  But  his  disappointment  was  soon  relieved 
by  the  arrival  of  the  sloop-of-war  Wasp,  Captain  Jones,  with 
dispatches  from  France;  this  vessel  had  not  her  full  comple- 
ment of  officers,  and  Lieutenant  Biddle  immediately  procured 
an  order  to  join  her  as  first  lieutenant. 

The  Wasp  went  to  sea  on  the  13th  of  October,  1812,  and 
on  the  18th  fell  in  with  six  sail  of  the  line  of  British  mer- 
chant vessels  under  convoy  of  the  Frolic  sloop-of-war.  An 
attack  was  made,  and  a  heavy  fire  of  cannon  and  musketry 
opened  upon  them,  which  was  quickly  returned  by  the  Wasp 
without  interruption.  Amidst  this  severe  contest  the  two 
vessels  struck  each  other  with  a  tremendous  crash,  tlie  jib- 
boom  of  the  Frolic  coming  between  the  main  and  mizzen  rig- 
ging of  the  Wasp,  directly  over  the  heads  of  Captain  Jones 
and  Lieutenant  Biddle ;  this  position  gave  the  Wasp  an  op- 
portunity of  sweeping  the  deck  of  the  Frolic,  which  was  done 
by  two  guns  of  the  Wasp.  Lieutenant  Biddle  jumped  on  the 
bowsprit  and  boarded  her,  and  to  his  surprise  found  that  the 
only  persons  on  deck  were  the  commander  and  two  other  offi- 
cers, and  a  seaman  at  the  wheel.  Upon  seeing  Lieutenant 
Biddle,  these  officers  threw  down  their  swords  and  surren- 
dered, and,  as  their  colors  were  still  flying,  he  hauled  them 
down  himself,  and  took  possession  of  the  Frolic  in  forty-three 
minutes  after  the  first  fire.  Soon  after  the  action  Biddle  was 
ordered  by  Captain  Jones  to  make  his  way  with  the  prize  to 
a  southern  port  of  the  United  States,  but  he  had  not  proceeded 
far  when  a  large  ship  hove  in  sight,  to  windward,  which  proved 


CAPTAIN  JAMES  BIDDLE.  311 

to  be  the  Poictiers,  a  British  seventy-four,  and  as  the  Frolic 
was  totally  dismasted,  and  the  Wasp  so  disabled  in  her  rigging 
and  sails  as  to  be  incapable  of  escaping  immediately,  both 
vessels  were  taken  by  the  Poictiers.  Captain  Jones  and  his 
officers  were  carried  to  Bermuda,  and  after  a  short  detention 
there,  were  released  upon  their  parole,  and  returned  to  the 
United  States.  The  very  efficient  part  borne  by  Lieutenant 
Biddle  in  this  memorable  action,  is  related  in  the  followino- 
extract  from  the  official  letter  of  Captain  Jones.  "  Lieutenant 
Biddle's  active  conduct  contributed  much  to  our  success,  by 
the  exact  attention  paid  to  every  department  during  the  en- 
gagement, and  the  animating  example  he  affi^rded  the  crew 
by  his  intrepidity." 

The  legislature  of  Pennsylvania  voted  Lieutenant  Biddle  a 
sword,  and  a  testimonial  still  more  grateful  to  his  feelings  was 
offered  to  him  by  a  number  of  highly  respectable  gentlemen  of 
Philadelphia,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  him,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  an  extract : — "  Whilst  your  country  confers  upon  you 
those  distinguished  marks  of  approbation  which  are  ever  due 
to  merit  and  valor,  a  number  of  the  personal  friends  and  com- 
panions of  your  youth  are  desirous  of  attesting  to  you  their 
esteem,  and  of  perpetuating  the  remembrance  of  your  private 
worth.  With  this  view  they  have  directed  us,  as  their  com- 
mittee, to  present  to  you  in  their  name,  a  silver  urn,  bearing 
upon  it  an  appropriate  inscription,  and  a  representation  of  the 
action  between  the  Wasp  and  the  Frolic,  in  which  you  so 
conspicuously  assisted  to  exalt  the  naval  character  of  our 
country." 

Shortly  after,  Lieutenant  Biddle  was  promoted  to  the  rank 
of  master-commandant,  and  received  command  of  the  Hornet 
sloop-of-war.  This  ship,  after  cruising  for  some  time  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  and  New  London,  was  attached  to  the 


312  CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE. 

command  of  Commodore  Decatur,  destined  for  a  cruise  to  the 
East  Indies. 

On  the  third  day  after  the  saiUng  of  this  squadron,  the 
Hornet  separated  in  chase  of  a  vessel  which  proved  to  be  a 
Portuguese  brig,  and  then  proceeded  singly  towards  the  Island 
of  Tristan  d'Acunha,  which  was  the  first  place  of  rendezvous 
for  the  squadron.  On  the  passage  she  chased  and  boarded 
every  vessel  that  came  in  sight.  On  the  morning  of  the 
23d  of  March,  1815,  when  about  to  anchor  off  the  north  end 
of  that  island,  a  sail  w^as  descried  to  tlie  southward  and  east- 
ward. The  Hornet  made  sail  immediately,  and  hove  to  for 
her  to  come  down.  When  she  had  come  down  and  shortened 
sail,  she  took  in  her  steering  sails  in  a  very  clumsy  manner^ 
purposely  to  deceive  the  Hornet,  and  came  down  stem  on  as 
near  as  possible,  lest  the  Hornet  should  perceive  her  broadside 
and  run.  "At  forty  minutes  past  one,  P.  M.,"  says  Captain 
Biddle's  official  letter,  "  being  nearly  within  musket-shot  dis- 
tance, she  hauled  her  wind  on  the  starboard  tack,  hoisted 
English  colors  and  fired  a  gun.  We  immediately  luffed  to, 
hoisted  our  ensign,  and  gave  the  enemy  a  broadside.  The 
action  being  tlius  commenced,  a  quick  and  well-directed  fire 
was  kept  up  from  this  ship,  the  enemy  gradually  drifting 
nearer  to  us,  when  at  fifty-five  minutes  past  one  he  bore  up 
apparently  to  run  us  on  board.  Expecting  he  would  certainly 
board  us,  I  ordered  every  officer  and  man  to  the  quarter-deck, 
to  be  ready  to  repel  the  boarders  if  an  attempt  was  made. 
The  enemy's  bowsprit  came  between  our  main  and  mizzen 
rigging  on  our  starboard  side,  affording  him  an  opportunity  to 
board  us,  if  such  was  his  design ;  but  no  attempt  was  made. 
There  was  a  considerable  swell,  and  as  the  sea  lifted  us  ahead, 
the  enemy's  bowsprit  carried  away  our  mizzen  shrouds,  stern- 
davits  and  spanker-boom,  and  he  iiung  upon  our  larboard 
quarter.     At  tins  moment  an  officer,  who  was  afterwards  re- 


CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE.  313 

cognized  to  be  Mr.  McDonald,  the  first  lieutenant   and  the 
then  commanding  officer,  called  out  that  they  had  surrendered. 
I  directed  the  marines  and  musketry  men  to  cease  firing,  and 
while  on  the  tafferel,  asking  if  they  had  surrendered,  I  received 
a  wound  in  the  neck.     The  enemy  again  called  out  that  he 
had  surrendered.     It  was  with  difficulty  I  could  restrain  my 
crew  from  firing  into  him  again,  as  they  persisted  he  had 
fired   into   us  after  havinor  surrendered.      From   the   firino- 
of  the  first   gun  to  the  last  time  the  enemy  cried   out   he 
had  surrendered,   was   exactly  twenty -two   minutes   by  tlie 
watch.     She  proved  to  be  his  Britannic  majesty's  brig  Pen- 
guin, mounting  sixteen  thirty-two  pound  carronades,  two  long 
twelves,  a  twelve  pound  carronade  on  the  top-gallant  fore- 
•castle,  with  swivels  on  the  capstan  and  in  the  tops.     She  had 
a  spare  port  forw^ard  so  as  to  fight  both  her  long  guns  of  a 
side.      The  enemy  acknowledge  a  complement  of  one  hun- 
dred  and   thirty-two   men,  twelve   of  them  supernumerary 
marines,  from  the  Medway  seventy-four.     They  acknowledge 
also  a  loss  of  fourteen  killed  and  twenty -eight  wounded  ;  but 
Mr.  Mayo,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  prize,  assures  me  that 
the  number  of  killed  was  certainly  greater."     Among  the 
killed   of   the   Penguin,  was   Captain  Dickinson,  her  com- 
mander, who  is  represented  to  have  been  a  deserving  and 
favorite  officer.     The  Hornet  had  but  one  man  killed  and 
eleven  wounded.     Among  the  wounded  were  Captain  Biddle 
severely,  and  McConner,  the  first  lieutenant,  dangerously.    It 
is  always  gratifying  to  notice  the  attachment  of  our  brave 
tars  to  their  commanders.     Captain  Biddle  had  his  face  much 
disfigured  by  being  struck  twice  with  splinters,  and,  when  lie 
received  the  wound  in  the  neck,  from  which  the  blood  flowed 
profusely,  some  of  the  crew  in.sisted  upon  his  retiring  below 
for  the  purpose  of  having  it  dressed,  two  of  whom  seized  him 
in  their  arms  for  that  purpose,  so  tliat  lie  could  scarcely  extri- 
40 


314  CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE- 

cate  himself  from  them  ;  but  finding  he  was  determined  to  re- 
main on  the  deck,  one  of  them  stript  off  his  shirt,  tore  it  into 
strips,  and  almost  by  force  tied  it  tightly  about  Captain  Biddle's 
neck  to  prevent  his  bleeding.  Captain  Biddle  would  not 
have  his  own  wound  dressed  until  after  all  his  men  had  theirs 
dressed. 

Captain  Biddle  received  his  wound  in  the  neck  after  the 
enemy  had  surrendered.  He  was  standing  upon  the  tafferel, 
and  had  ordered  the  musketry  not  to  fire,  when  one  of  his 
officers  called  out  to  him  that  there  was  a  man  taking  aim  at 
him.  Captain  Biddle's  back  being  towards  the  officer,  he  did 
not  hear  this,  but  two  of  the  marines  perceiving  the  fellow 
taking  aim  at  their  commander,  fired  at  him,  and  he  fell  dead 
the  instant  after  he  had  discharged  his  piece.  He  was  no^ 
more  than  ten  or  twelve  yards  from  Captain  Biddle  when  he 
shot  him  ;  the  ball  struck  the  chin  directly  in  front  with  much 
force,  and  passing  along  the  neck,  tearing  the  flesh,  went  off" 
behind  through  his  cravat,  waistcoat  and  coat  collar.  The 
Penguin  being  so  completely  riddled,  her  foremast  and  bow- 
sprit gone,  and  her  mainmast  so  crippled  as  to  be  incapable  of 
being  secured,  she  was  accordingly  scuttled  and  destroyed. 
Shortly  after,  peace  with  Great  Britain  was  restored,  and 
Captain  Biddle  returned  to  New  York,  much  indisposed  and 
debilitated  by  his  wound.  During  his  absence  he  had  been 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  post-captain.  On  his  return,  a  pub- 
lic dinner  was  given  to  him  by  the  citizens  of  New  York,  and 
a  service  of  plate  presented  to  him  by  the  citizens  of  Phila- 
delphia. It  has  been  the  distinguishing  character  of  this 
gentleman,  to  exert  in  the  public  service  an  unwearied  activity 
and  an  ardent  enterprise,  which  surmounted  every  obstacle 
and  commanded  the  events  of  his  life.  He  was  a  party  to 
two  of  the  most  decisive  actions  of  the  war,  in  which  his 
persevering  spirit  led  him  forward  in  spite  of  every  untoward 


CAPTAIN    JAMES    BIDDLE.  315 

event  in  the  path  of  glory,  and  crowned  his  exertions  with 
success.  The  capture  of  the  FroUc  by  the  Wasp,  not  only 
broke  the  charm  of  British  naval  superiority,  but  showed  a 
decided  superiority  in  favor  of  America.  The  capture  of  the 
Penguin  was  not  less  decisive  ;  and  if,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  war,  the  British  navy  was  surprised,  from  habits  of 
security  and  contempt  for  their  enemies,  they  had,  before  the 
victory  of  the  Hornet,  learned  their  error  and  corrected  their 
conduct.  In  this  instance,  even  the  enemy  was  utterly  unable 
to  frame  an  apology  for  his  defeat,  since  he  had  come  out  pre- 
pared, and  with  unusual  means  to  pursue  and  capture  an 
American  ship-of-war.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  {see 
Plate  XIV.)  and  the  thanks  of  that  body  to  Captain  James 
Biddle,  commander  of  the  sloop-of-w^ar  Hornet,  for  the  cap- 
ture of  the  brig  Penguin,  Captain  Dickinson,  in  tw^enty-two 
minutes,  March  23,  1815. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    MEDAL. 

Occasion. — Capture  of  the  brig  Penguin. 

Device. — Bust  of  Captain  Biddle. 

Legend. — The  Congress  of  the  U.  S.  to  Capt.  James  Bid- 
dle for  his  gallantry,  good  conduct  and  services. 

Reverse. — Two  vessels  engaged  :  the  Peak  of  Tristan 
d'Acunha  in  sight. 

Legend. — Capture  of  the  British  brig  Penguin  by  the 
U.  S.  ship  Hornet. 

Exergue.— Off  Tristan  d'Acunha,  March  23d,  1815. 


THE   END, 


